Key Through the Heart: Rebirth
by nanashiX
Summary: With Permission! Continuation details inside.  "So my name is Uzumaki Naruto. My dream is to be Hokage but I'm not there, yet. But with a demon in my naval I have work to do. Not only that but now, well now I got this giant Key and this destiny. Perfect..
1. Shall We Start Again? Genin Test

_**llIVoice of Destiny/Inner Sakura**_

"Normal Talking"

_Thoughts/Sound Effects_

"_Flashback dialogue/Japanese/Emphasis of words"_

"**Demon speak"**

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><p><strong>NanashiX: Hello to all readers who have clicked this. Before your fury comes at me in the form of a flame have no fear for I did get permission to repost. Yesterday was my birthday so I decided that today will be my birthday present to me and everyone else. What I am doing is continuing a great piece of work by a brilliant writer, Andrew Joshua Talon. I will be reposting each chapter while I continue off of where he left off making sure everything is all set. I am in contact with Andrew J. Talon to make sure that I do this continuation right. Behold the Mimic will be out in 3 days tops. That is a promise as I was working on the continuation and got lost in writing it. Anyways let us begin…<strong>

_A fanfiction originally by Andrew J. Talon and redone & continued by NanashiX_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Kingdom Hearts, Disney, or any other copyrighted material. The story idea, concept, and original are owned by Andrew Joshua Talon. The continuation is mine and I do this out of pure enjoyment and my love of the story. _

_So without further ado I give you._

Key Through the Heart: Rebirth

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><p>Hatake Kakashi picked up a carton of milk, casually regarding it as though deeply engrossed in the nutritional information the label contained.<p>

The Hokage nearby smirked as he continued rearranging things in his office. He knew better.

"So, Team Seven… I'm guessing you want the Uchiha survivor?"

Kakashi shrugged, setting the milk back down. His single visible eye, as usual, showed an indifferent expression. Well, as much indifference as a single eye could communicate.

"If he can pass…"

"And the others?" Sarutobi asked. Kakashi frowned.

"The Haruno girl seems to be all brains… I'll have to do something about that… As for the Uzumaki kid… He seems almost hopeless."

The Hokage chuckled, and Kakashi frowned slightly beneath his mask.

"Possibly… I trust you've heard about the incident he was involved in with the traitor?"

Kakashi nodded.

"Yes… He and his Chūnin instructor apparently helped keep Mizuki from getting the scroll to Orochimaru's agents."

Sarutobi turned back on the grey-haired jounin, a smirk on his aged face. Kakashi frowned fully now.

"Do you know how?"

Kakashi shrugged.

"The details are not readily available…"

Hell, they'd been made _classified_, beyond even his reach. And there were few secrets Kakashi could not ferret out in this village. The Hokage smirked, digging into a small pile of paperwork on a table, and handing it to the jounin. Kakashi took it, opening the folder and leafing through it. Part of his mind absently noted that he needed to look underneath the underneath a little more when it came to Sarutobi… Before his mind went slightly blank.

He looked up from the reports, his visible brow raised. The Hokage's smirk grew wider.

"Are you sure this Amino isn't over-stating things?" Kakashi asked.

"Granted, he sees Naruto as a little brother, but Iruka is not one to mince words or give false praise," the Hokage replied.

"You've read his reports on Sasuke and Sakura I take it?"

Kakashi nodded, blinking again.

"Two. Not one, but _two_ kinjutsu from that scroll. In one night." Kakashi shook his head and sighed.

"Well… I didn't see this coming. Especially not _that_ one…"

"He's been training almost non-stop for the last week with his Kage Bunshin and the… Other jutsu," Sarutobi spoke carefully.

"The legend has, understandably, terrified him."

The Third took a deep breath.

"If they pass… Try to help all three, Kakashi. Naruto in particular… That weapon of his… It won't be an easy burden to bear."

Kakashi snorted.

"I don't put a lot of stock into such legends, Hokage-sama… But, I'll see what the kid can do."

The Hokage nodded, and with that, Kakashi left in a flurry of leaves. Sarutobi looked at the carton of milk on the table and closed his eyes, a sad smile on his face.

"Kid has the lousiest luck…"

Kakashi entered the classroom, a full three hours late. He scrutinized the three genin within, and raised an eyebrow.

The Uchiha was sitting near the window, fingers steepled, brooding, while the pink-haired kunoichi babbled happily at him about being on the same team. Uzumaki Naruto sat away from them, chin on his crossed arms, bored and looking at the chalkboard. All three turned to look at Kakashi, and he stared back thoughtfully.

"Hmm… My first impression of you three," Kakashi spoke simply. "… Is… I don't like you!"

Sasuke's face darkened, while Sakura facefaulted. Naruto glared.

"Right… Meet me on the roof, will you?"

He teleported up there, and soon enough all three genin trudged up the stairs to meet him, the sun shining cheerfully over them and the various roofs of Konoha scattered all around them. None of this mattered to the three genin as they sat down in front of Kakashi. Sakura sat in the middle between Naruto and Sasuke, edging closer to the brooding Uchiha away from the blond.

"All right, let's start with some introductions. Your name, your likes, dislikes, hobbies, and dreams for the future."

Sakura blinked.

"Um, sensei? Shouldn't you go first, since we don't know anything about you?" Kakashi chuckled inside.

_Silly girl, thinking she's so smart…_

"I'm Hatake Kakashi. I have many likes and dislikes… Dreams? Well… I have many hobbies…"

The genin all looked depressed, and Kakashi inwardly smirked.

"Right then. Pinky, you're up first."

Sakura sat up a little straighter and smiled.

"I'm Haruno Sakura. My likes are…" Here she turned to Sasuke and blushed, before turning back.

"My dislikes…" She trailed off and glared at Naruto, who blinked back at her before she turned to face Kakashi again.

"My hobbies and dreams, well…" She turned to Sasuke and blushed, giggling a bit. Sasuke made no response, as Naruto hmphed and crossed his arms.

"And I hate Ino-pig!" She concluded passionately.

"Right…" Kakashi sighed.

_Swell… A fangirl…_ "You, the broody one. Go."

Sasuke glared at him, before snorting.

"I'm Uchiha Sasuke. I have many dislikes and few likes. I have no hobbies. As for dreams… Well… It's not so much a dream… But a desire to rebuild my clan… and kill a certain man…" Sakura blinked and gawked a bit at Sasuke, as Naruto also shot the Uchiha a strange look.

_An Avenger… Just as I expected,_ Kakashi thought. He turned at last to Naruto.

"And finally… You."

Naruto adjusted his headband and smiled.

"Um, I'm Uzumaki Naruto. I like ramen, Iruka-sensei, and my friends. I dislike how long it takes for ramen to cook, and people who judge me without knowing me first. Hobbies…? Um, I guess training and gardening. Oh, and uh… My dream is to become _Hokage_!" Naruto stated. Sakura and Sasuke shot the blond curious expressions, which seemed almost _overused._

_So he's been acting weird all day, hm?_ Kakashi surmised.

"Right then… …you three, we're going to be doing some survival training tomorrow at training ground 7. You may not have known this, but the true Genin exam lies with the instructor, not with the academy. I will choose, tomorrow, whether you 3 pass or fail. Note that there is a 66.6 percent failure rate in this test, so there is a good chance that one, two, or even all three of you will be sent back to the academy. Oh, and don't eat breakfast…you'll only throw up."

Kakashi gave all three genin a slightly sadistic smile, before vanishing.

The bell test had been used as a means to determine just which ninja had potential to see beyond the ordinary and thus prove themselves able to truly work in the dangerous world of the shinobi. Idiots did not last long here, nor did the self-centered or weak. Kakashi had learned the second aspect of the test _particularly_ well, and thus had a pretty good idea of how this test would go.

Naruto would attack first, the idiot, striking wildly and _maybe_ demonstrating some potential and then being promptly defeated. Sakura, being weak, would easily crumble to a simple illusion. And Sasuke, well… The rookie of the year he may be, but still no match for Kakashi.

Still, the Hokage _had_ indicated to him that Naruto needed help with his weapon… Time to see if it was everything it was cracked up to be. As Sakura and Sasuke vanished from sight, hiding and obviously looking for the chance to strike, Naruto stayed right where he was, kunai appearing in his hand.

"Well, you at least have the proper spirit," Kakashi stated, as Naruto charged with a shout. He reached into his pouch, and noted that Naruto froze, staring in worry at what he was pulling out. Kakashi smirked, and revealed… Icha Icha Paradise, volume three. Naruto appropriately face faulted.

"Hey! Aren't you going to take this seriously?" Naruto demanded.

Kakashi shook his head.

"Why should I? It's not like you have an actual chance at beating me."

Naruto growled, unconsciously holding his hand out as though to take up a weapon, even though there was already a kunai in his grip. Kakashi smirked as Naruto lunged for him, kicking, jumping, stabbing-

_His form is terrible,_ Kakashi reflected, dodging every blow Naruto threw at him. True, Naruto was much faster than he'd expected, making him put in a _little_more effort, but the boy's fighting style was still sloppy.

_It's as if he hasn't practiced it in_weeks…

"Come now… Is _this_ all you're capable of? And the Third Hokage had such high expectations of you, especially considering what you wield."

Naruto halted his attack, and leapt away, landing in a crouch. His wide-eyes were all he needed to confirm.

"H-He told you…?"

Kakashi felt a little confused about this reaction. He'd expected Naruto to use _that_ weapon right off the bat, driven out of irrational anger. But Naruto was purposely holding back…?

"Yes, and unless _you_ are going to take this seriously, then I won't either. But, even if you do, it's not like you'll succeed anyway. Perhaps you should just quit now?" Kakashi further prodded. He could easily pick out the confused expressions of the other genin, hidden as they were.

Kakashi smirked a little, his attention right back on Naruto.

Instead of rushing him in uncontrollable rage, Naruto stood up, a determined glare on his face.

"I don't give up… I'll _never_ give up… I don't care _how_ strong you are!"

With that, Naruto dropped his kunai and stretched out his hand. A controlled burst of light later… And Kakashi blinked.

It was a giant _key._ Kakashi hadn't known what to expect, but a literal giant _key…_ The 'blade' was silver in color, with crown-like teeth at the end. The guard was bright yellow and encased the hilt and Naruto's hand. From the very end, a chain with an unusual, three-circle-like charm dangled. Naruto turned and pointed the Keyblade at Kakashi, both hands taking the hilt as he fell into a rather unusual stance… Before leaping with the weapon in a lancing position, covering the distance to Kakashi easily.

The jounin deflected the strike with the steel plate in his glove, ignoring the minor cut through the fabric. Naruto however, was not done yet, and twisted in mid-air with the force of the deflection to swing down on Kakashi's head. Quick as a flash, the jounin switched out his _Icha Icha Paradise_ for a kunai, and deflected this blow, spinning around as Naruto landed a few meters away.

The blond launched himself at Kakashi again, swinging the Keyblade to his right and redirecting his path, before jumping into the air and swinging forward with the almost-comical weapon for Kakashi's shoulder.

Kakashi deflected it as Naruto swung the Keyblade (relative to his orientation) up, launching a kick at the white-haired jounin's chest. Kakashi blocked with his other arm, sending Naruto spinning at an angle to land on his feet and swing himself around the masked jounin, trying to strike from behind.

"Well…_This_ is a bit more interesting," Kakashi observed to Naruto, as he blocked the blonde's next attack with his kunai held out behind him. Naruto pulled the Keyblade towards him, catching Kakashi's knife with the teeth of the key, while swinging his left foot forward to kick Kakashi in the back. Kakashi twirled away, dodging the strike.

Kakashi had wondered for a moment just how the boy could be doing so much better with just the Keyblade… Before it came to him and he smirked as he continued dueling the fast, agile, and perfectly dangerous strikes.

"I see you figured out the big advantage Kage Bunshin gives you, while training with it, hm?" Kakashi observed.

Naruto flew back, another strike deflected, and he landed, breathing a little harder than normal.

"What? What do you mean?" Naruto growled, gripping the Keyblade by the chain and spinning it as fast as he could over his head.

Once it had picked up sufficient momentum he let it fly in a twirling, deadly blur. Kakashi directed some chakra into his muscles as he threw his kunai, and the smaller, chakra-powered projectile easily knocked the larger weapon off course. Naruto had been charging behind the Keyblade, apparently to strike him bare-handed-

The Keyblade flashed back into Naruto's hands from mid-flight as he lunged for Kakashi's chest. The jounin was only mildly surprised and able to draw another kunai to parry the strike, but Kakashi had to admit-It wasn't a bad move.

"Let me guess… You created as many Kage Bunshin as you could, over the course of the week before the teams were picked, and you fought them with the Keyblade, for hours at a time," Kakashi surmised.

Naruto scowled and leapt forward again, swinging down at Kakashi in a hammer blow. Kakashi evaded again, and blocked Naruto's quick counterstrike.

"So? What of it?"

Kakashi sighed.

_No, he doesn't get it…_ Naruto lunged again, but this time he threw _himself_ forward, using the Keyblade as leverage. Naruto twisted forward in the air, hands settling into position to call his weapon once more, but _this_ time within the jounin's guard. Kakashi leapt back, quickly making a few handseals.

"_Doton: Tenchuu no Jutsu!"_

A pillar of earth leapt up beneath Naruto and sent him flying, crashing into the nearby pond with a tremendous splash. Kakashi smirked slightly beneath his mask. _He's gotten the memories of all the Kage Bunshin he's fought. Probably had them attack him en masse in as many ways he could think of…_ If Naruto could make several dozen Kage Bunshin, at the very least, every day, he could have amassed hundreds of hours of training-Relatively speaking.

_It certainly wasn't_wasted, Kakashi further surmised, as a sopping wet Naruto emerged from the pond, death glaring him. Still holding the Keyblade, Naruto held his fingers together in the ram seal around the yellow guard of the weapon.

"_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"_

Six more Narutos appeared, all holding Keyblades. As one, they spun up their weapons and threw them, charging behind them. Kakashi easily dodged them all, and waited to see which Naruto would regain his weapon. The other Keyblades were merely copies, and lacked the abilities of the original. And when that Naruto did-

"GOTCHA!" A voice behind him yelled, and Kakashi's single eye widened as the Keyblade rematerialized in front of his chin, being pulled for a choke hold around his neck by two familiar hands.

The rest of the Narutos were charging for him, and his brief hesitation from surprise had let them leapt into striking range. The first fist flew for his face, as the Keyblade's dull part closed on his throat-

"AUGH!"

A quick replacement jutsu saw Naruto choking one of his own Kage Bunshins, while the others dog piled him.

"SHIT!

"AUGH!"

"DAMNIT!" The clones shouted, as the real Naruto slashed through them all, dispelling them into poofs of smoke.

He was breathing hard, and looking around, eyes narrowed. Kakashi smirked a bit, as the blonde's eyes obviously caught sight of a bell lying beneath a tree. It was most obviously a trap…

"YEEAAAHHH!"

Which Naruto fell for, hook, line, and sinker. He dangled by his feet, swinging in the rope trap like a wind chime. Kakashi easily walked up and bent down, retrieving the bell.

"Did you really think I'd be that stupid?" Kakashi asked, amused.

Naruto scowled at him, summoning the Keyblade once more and trying to cut the rope. Kakashi sighed.

"Uh, uh, uh… Any more usage of the Keyblade in this test, and you automatically fail," Kakashi tsked him. Naruto glared back.

"First, you tell me to go all out, and _now,_ you're forbidding me? That's _stupid_!"

"No, because going all out is not the point of this test," Kakashi sighed, and Naruto blinked, the Keyblade vanishing from his hand. He grimaced, his version of a thoughtful expression appearing on his-

Kakashi quickly used the replacement jutsu again, just in time to avoid a barrage of shuriken and kunai from Sasuke. He shook his head as Naruto continued to dangle from the tree, his surprise at Kakashi's exit replaced by that thoughtful look again.

Kakashi sighed, and decided to check up on his other 'charges'. He didn't hold out a lot of hope for Sakura, or the Uchiha, at figuring out the test, but at least Naruto seemed to be thinking it out. If the other two were smart (and he knew they were), and they were listening (and he knew they were doing this too), then the hint should be just enough for them to figure it out.

Why he gave them a hint, Kakashi wasn't sure. Maybe the fact that he'd been so completely _wrong_ about Naruto's abilities. Maybe because he felt he needed a change in his routine. Kakashi didn't really know.

He'd have to wait and see.

Thirty minutes later, Naruto had finally gotten out of the trap and set out across the training field, looking about himself carefully. Kakashi frowned. He'd already easily dispatched Sakura with an elementary genjutsu (he hadn't even had to _hit_ her, she _fainted_ at the sight of a bloody, mangled Sasuke), and Sasuke was buried up to his neck thanks to his Headhunter Jutsu. Naruto finally came across Sakura, who was woozily getting to her feet.

"Hey, Sakura-chan? I was thinking that-"

"Naruto! Stop bothering me! Don't you remember that this is a _test_, and we're supposed to each get a bell or we _fail?_ Maybe _that's_ why you failed three times-You _enjoyed_it!" Sakura snarled, stalking away from him.

Naruto's face held a hurt expression, before he tried again.

"But Sakura-chan, um… Look. I got pretty close to beating him a few times, and Sasuke, well, he did _about_ as well as me, so I was thinking we could all-"

"Is Sasuke-kun all right? Was he hurt? Oh no, he needs me! Sasuke-kun, I'm coming!" Sakura shouted, rushing in a random direction and leaving Naruto alone, staring after her.

"… Team up and beat him up to make him pass us," he sighed.

Kakashi smirked a little at _that._ A few moments later, Sakura's shriek filled the air, and he knew she'd seen Sasuke "decapitated". Naruto made to go after her, but then the alarm went off.

"Time's up," Kakashi said behind Naruto, and the blond jumped a little. He turned around and smiled nervously. Kakashi sighed.

"None of you got any bells…"

"Yeah," Naruto replied, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

The jounin turned and walked for the clearing, Naruto following.

Sakura was little worse for wear, just looking frazzled while tied to the log, while Sasuke simply looked dirty and pissed off. Naruto was sitting next to Sakura's log, looking curiously at Kakashi.

"Well, the good news is, only Naruto has to go back to the academy," Kakashi spoke at last, leading Sakura to smiling brightly and Sasuke to frown, but still shoot Naruto a curious look. Naruto sighed miserably.

"Sakura and Sasuke… You should quit being ninjas entirely!"

The shock was evident on all three ninja's faces as Kakashi continued his tirade.

"Sasuke, you struck out entirely on your own to get the bells and didn't even _consider_ asking for help, thinking the others would only get in your way. Sakura, when Naruto asked you to team up with him and get the bells, you were too focused on Sasuke to listen! Naruto was the only one who thought of teaming up to get the bells, even _after _he'd been beaten and trapped."

Kakashi shook his head at Sasuke and Sakura.

"What you did _mocks_ what being a ninja is all about. What you are, are spoiled _brats_ who couldn't see the _true_ point of the exercise!"

"B-But sensei! You said that to pass, we had to get a bell, and there's only two!" Sakura pointed out, fidgeting against the log.

Kakashi sighed.

"That_ was the point._ It was supposed to create dissention in the ranks. It was designed to see if you could put your individual interests aside and work towards the _greater good._ As a _team._" Kakashi shook his head.

"As it stands, _none_ of you _deserve_ to be ninja!"

Sasuke rushing him was completely expected, as Naruto and Sakura just gawped. Easily Kakashi caught Sasuke's arm and spun him around, holding him to the ground with just one foot.

"Mmmph!" Sasuke snarled around the mouthful of dirt he'd just eaten, and Kakashi sighed.

"A very good example-Sakura! Kill Naruto or Sasuke dies!"

Sakura's hand almost instinctively twitched for her weapons pouch, bound as she was, and Naruto blinked at her. The kid looked rather betrayed, Kakashi surmised.

"See, this is what can happen on a mission if you _don't_ work_ together._ That is why we put you into _three_ man teams. So you can support each other to _accomplish_ the mission."

Kakashi turned to the stone memorial behind him, and stared at it for a long time. He let Sasuke go, who tried to walk back over to the logs with as much dignity as he could muster.

"On this stone are the names of ninja who lost their lives on missions,_ including_ my best friends," he spoke solemnly. Kakashi turned back around.

"However… Thanks to Naruto, I'm willing to give you all _one_ more chance at it. Sasuke, Naruto-You can eat the lunches in the bentos. However, don't give Sakura _any."_

"Why?" Naruto asked. Kakashi glared.

"Because out of all of you, she did not even make the effort to _try_ to get the bells. My word is law on this. If you give her food, you all fail, got it?" With Sasuke and Naruto's nods, Kakashi left… And observed them from the tree line. Sasuke and Naruto took their lunches… But Naruto hesitated at hearing Sakura's stomach rumble. She blushed furiously.

"Hey Sakura-chan? Here, have some," Naruto said, looking around carefully.

Sakura blinked.

"Wh-What? If you do that, we all fail."

Naruto shrugged with a smile.

"I forgot to not eat breakfast, so I'll be fine. We're going to need you at full strength, you know?"

Sakura blinked, and gaped even more when Sasuke held out his lunch for her.

"Sasuke-kun? You too?"

"I won't have you being a liability," he said flatly, and Sakura smiled at him.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun! … Naruto," she added, a little hesitantly. They began to feed her. Kakashi sighed.

_Well… There goes all my free time…_

The theatrics had been fun to do, Kakashi later admitted to himself, but the light of understanding showing up in the Genin's eyes… Well…

It wasn't so bad, he decided, being a teacher. After telling them when they'd start missions as Team 7, he'd departed, as Sakura and Sasuke headed off for their homes. Naruto, on the other hand, headed for a training field nearer his home, and Kakashi followed.

Naruto stopped in the middle of the clearing, sighed, and summoned the Keyblade. He looked it over, his expression that of sober, reluctant acceptance. Kakashi shook his head from the foliage that concealed him, his curiosity about the Uzumaki boy and these changes becoming almost unbearable.

_Screw it,_ he decided. He was Naruto's sensei. He could sure as hell drop in and ask him about this weapon of his.

"Naruto." Naruto jumped and turned around, glaring at him. Kakashi did an eye-smiled back.

"Kakashi-sensei! Do you have to do that?"

"I think everyone's life needs some surprises in it from time to time," he cheekily replied. Naruto grimaced and mumbled under his breath, turning to head for another part of the field:

"No more for me, please."

Kakashi frowned beneath his mask.

"Naruto… I have to admit, I underestimated you considerably."

Naruto turned around and blinked. He smiled a little, some of that familiar devil-may-care attitude emerging.

"Yeah, people do that a lot," he replied with a small laugh. Kakashi crossed his arms and adopted a far more serious expression.

"That weapon… It's the cause of your recent changes, isn't it?"

Naruto sighed, holding out the weapon… Before turning and throwing it as hard as he could into the woods. A few seconds later, it reappeared, quick as a flash, back in his hands. The blond sighed.

"Yeah… All I… Wanted to do was save Iruka-sensei… And instead, I end up with this thing."

Naruto glared at the Keyblade.

"Isn't the Kyuubi enough? I mean, people _hate_ me enough for it! And now-_now-_I've got a weapon capable of destroying whole _worlds_ if I'm not careful. Why me? I didn't_ want_ _any_ of this dammit!"

Kakashi sighed.

"… Maybe it's better you start at the beginning," Kakashi suggested. Naruto turned around, blinking curiously.

"Since I'm your sensei now, it will help me help you better if I know everything," the jounin elaborated. Naruto nodded, and sat down in the grass, his gaze on the Keyblade as though both wanting to be rid of it, and beseeching it for strength. After casting a privacy jutsu around them Kakashi sat at well, all attention on one of his first, and possibly unluckiest, students.

"It… It began when I stole the scroll…"

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><p><strong>Updated 1015/11: All edits done by me, Nanashi, will be in bold. Fixed any grammar and spelling mistakes. Everything else is still the same.**

_Updated 12/13/07:__Did some additional editing and extended the introduction scene, as well as removing all mention of "dattebayo". As it's intended to be added onto the end of a sentence to emphasize it and make it sound tougher, for story purposes it has been replaced with a simple emphasis on certain words and, where appropriate, swearing._

_Updated 4/10/07__: Edited spacing in order to make it easier to tell who is talking, as well as some grammar mistakes._

_Update 4/5/07:__Due to my beta-reader, I've changed most of the Japanese dialogue in this fic to the English translation. From now on, only honorifics, jutsus, names, and a few catchphrases will be in Japanese._

_Yes, this is a Kingdom Hearts/Naruto crossover fic. No, I'm not abandoning my other Naruto fic, just taking a break from it before the writer's block suffocates me. No, this will not be a Super!Naruto fic. Just a Naruto-with-the-weight-of-Destiny-on-him fic. A slightly-better-than-canon Naruto in certain ways, yes, but he's not going to be owning Itachi any time soon._

_No, there will be no yaoi in this fic (aside from Orochimaru's preferences, but then he's sick and messed up so it's probably not what you might be looking for). Yes, there will be romantic pairings but as I suck at romance they will merely be hinted at and I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions._

_Doton: Tenchuu no Jutsu means "Earth Style: Pillar Holding up Heaven Technique". I thought that Kakashi, respecting Naruto a little more this time around, wouldn't use the "Thousand Years of Death"._

_Yes, this is a total AU of Naruto and Kingdom Hearts, but no, we're not going to any anime worlds (aside from Miyazaki films) or anything else outside Disney/Square Enix._

_And I refuse to call Square Enix "Squeenix". Just my opinion that it sounds retarded._

_Anyway, this is the first story I've ever written an outline for beforehand, so if writer's block catches me feel free to ask to see the outline and prod me into writing the next part. The outline is flexible to a certain degree, so feel free to suggest things! And please, review!_

_Preview for Chapter Two:_

"_**The closer to light you walk, the longer your shadow… But don't be afraid. Don't stop walking…"**_

"_And… If I do? Stop walking, I mean?" Naruto asked, his voice wavering only a little._

"_**Then the darkness will consume not only you, but everything you hold dear…"**_


	2. Retake a Deep Dive In

_**llVoice of Destiny/Inner Sakura**_

"Normal Talking"

_Thoughts/Sound Effects_

_"Flashback dialogue/Japanese/Emphasis of words"_

**"Demon speak"**

Key Through the Heart: Rebirth

_A fanfiction originally by Andrew J. Talon and redone & continued by NanashiX, beta-ed and co-written by L33t Horo_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Kingdom Hearts, Disney, or any other copyrighted material. The story idea, concept, and original are owned by Andrew Joshua Talon. The continuation is mine and I do this out of pure enjoyment and my love of the story._

Uzumaki Naruto, age twelve, leaped through the trees of the forest at breakneck speeds, a heavy scroll bouncing along with him every branch of the way. His eyes were wide and his teeth gritted in agitation.

_"You are the nine-tailed fox! The demon who killed Iruka's parents!"_

_No… It's not true! It's not true!_

_"No Naruto, don't listen to him! It's forbidden!"_

_Forbidden? Why? Why? Is this why everyone hates me? Because I'm the demon?_

As much as Naruto tried to deny it, Mizuki's declaration made sense. His whisker marks, the hatred of the villagers, the social isolation…

For God's sake, his _birthday_ was on the same day the Kyuubi was supposedly killed! Naruto felt tears at the corners of his eyes, as he stopped, clutching a tree branch under him as he panted.

_I'm a demon… The demon that killed Iruka-sensei's parents… That killed…_

Naruto gulped, and continued breathing shakily. He looked up and saw through a gap in the foliage, into a clearing. Two figures fought in the dappled moonlight.

_Iruka-sensei!_

Naruto leaped forward, watching the two ninja battle, and as they came into better focus he could hear more of their conversation.

"-on't you get it, Naruto's just like me!" Mizuki laughed.

"He wants the scroll for his own vengeance and power! That's how demons are! He'll use it to destroy everything!"

Naruto growled at this, as Iruka, leaning against a tree, glared back before responding.

"You're right," Iruka got out, breathing hard. Naruto felt ice fall into the pit of his stomach, and he shook in grief and anger.

_So that's it… Iruka-sensei… He LIED to me, like every other person in this village! He thinks I'm a demon! He-!_

"That _is_ how demons are, but Naruto is not the fox! He's nothing like a demon! He works hard, puts his everything into succeeding. And yes, he sometimes fails, and yes, everyone jumps on him, but he gets right back up and keeps trying. He never returns hatred with hatred, he never gives up, and every time he puts his whole heart into it! That is what separates him from the Kyuubi! He's nothing like it!"

Mizuki tensed, looking as though he'd try to kill Iruka right there… But instead he began laughing mockingly.

"_Nothing_ like the demon? Ha! I bet you right now, he's running away with that scroll full of secrets for his own use! The power within it… How could the Kyuubi resist?"

Naruto gripped the tree branch more tightly, teeth bared in a snarl.

_That bastard… I'll show him…!_

Naruto made to form the seal for Kage Bunshin… But paused. He cursed mentally.

_Dammit, I could barely make ONE clone with this jutsu! How is one more me going to help here? I need something stronger! I need something to stop him! But what…?_

Naruto quickly pulled the scroll out again, sudden inspiration as he opened it. At the very bottom of the scroll was a jutsu he couldn't begin to make heads or tails of, but it required only his signature in blood to work it. He'd ignored it before because he needed to learn how to make Bunshins to pass the Academy Exam. It mentioned something about a 'dive', a 'trial to gain strength' from… It was better than nothing, Naruto decided, biting his thumb and quickly signing his name, pumping chakra into it as the instructions dictated.

The letters of his name signed in blood began to glow bright white, and Naruto cried out as they flashed, blinding him. He blinked a few times… Before feeling like he was falling, falling in an endless black void…

_Splash!_

* * *

><p><strong>BGM: Dive into the HeartDestati**

Water was all around him, and Naruto waved his arms and kicked his feet as he kept sinking. His desperate flailing caused him to cast off his goggles, ignored as he tried to right himself but he just kept descending, deeper and deeper…

After what felt like ages to his burning lungs, Naruto felt the top of his head hit solid ground. Suddenly he collapsed, the feeling of being surrounded by water vanishing, and he breathed deeply of air once more. he then begun to hear a dark an ominous music playing as he ventured deeper into the plataform.

"What… The _hell_…?" Naruto muttered, rolling over onto his stomach and pushing himself up to a sitting position.

Frowning at the darkness that seemed to cover everything but himself, the blond reached out a fist and tapped the surface he'd landed on. The sound echoed, like he'd hit a huge glass pane of some sort. Naruto stood up, eyes closed in a characteristic thoughtful expression for him.

"Hey! Is anyone there? Hello?" Naruto called out.

His voice echoed, which seemed to tell Naruto that he might be in some kind of cave…

But how did I get here? What kind of jutsu is this anyway?

Naruto took a cautious step forward, and when his foot still landed on solid… Whatever, he took another.

"_The hell_?" Naruto shouted, as his foot was pushed back by birds emerging as one from the darkness, like they'd been so tightly packed beneath his feet that they had felt like solid, un-feathery ground.

As more and more birds took flight, a yellow light grew, and Naruto abruptly realized that the surface he was standing on was illuminated. More birds flew off, the light grew brighter, and Naruto could make out the image on the platform.

_Some… Girl in a weird dress… What's with those guys in the circles?_ _Their noses are huge,_ Naruto thought, walking a little less cautiously around the yellow-tinged platform. He walked up to the edge of it, and looked down, the black abyss all he could see. Rummaging around in his pocket, he triumphantly produced a coin and dropped it. He tilted his head, trying to hear it hit the ground…

"I don't think I want to jump off," he decided, after waiting a good five minutes to hear something. He backed off from the edge, and looked around the platform again.

"Some jutsu _this_ is," Naruto muttered, "Iruka-sensei might already be dead now, and it's all because I couldn't do anything! Dammit!"

_**Do not worry. Time passes differently here than on the outside,**_ a toneless voice spoke.

Naruto blinked, and looked around.

"Um… Hello? Who are you?"

**I am what Is and what Will Be.**

"… That's… Not helpful at all!" Naruto shouted irritably.

"Hey, whoever you are… Do you know how I can get back to the forest? I need to help my sensei!"

_**You can only leave here if you pass the trial.**_

"Look, I don't have time for this!"

_**You can only help your sensei if you pass the trial,**_ the voice repeated.

Naruto groaned.

"Alright… Fine… Let's just get this done as quickly as possible! I need to help Iruka-sensei!"

A sword, a shield, and a staff all appeared in front of Naruto, hovering in mid-air.

_**There are three paths to choose from. Do you choose the path of strength, the warrior?**_

Here, a light shining on the sword seemed to increase just enough to indicate it.

_**The path of defense, the guardian?**_

The shield was illuminated.

_**Or the path of wisdom, the mystic?**_

The staff was illuminated, and Naruto grimaced.

"Do I have to choose?"

_**Do you surrender only at the first test?**_

"What? Uzumaki Naruto _never_ surrenders, stupid Voice! Um…"

Naruto tried to pick. Truthfully, his first instinct had been to go for the sword-It might help stop Mizuki, right? But Iruka needed protection. So maybe the shield… The staff though, it seemed to radiate some kind of power, something Naruto couldn't _name_… but for some reason it just did not appeal to him...

"Um… Er…"

_Dammit, just choose one,_ Naruto thought to himself. _Wait when did it say I only had to choose one?_ The shield was nearest, so Naruto grabbed it. Slipping it on his back he ran to the sword and grabbed it. Just as he was about to grab the staff it vanished, leaving Naruto alone with his choice weapons.

_**Odd, no one has ever done what you have done. **_

"Yeah, great, can we move on?" Naruto shouted putting the sword on his back between his clothes and the shield.

As though offended, the platform beneath him shattered, leaving Naruto to fall into the abyss.

"Me and my big mouth...WAAAAAAAHHHHHH-!"

_THUD!_

"Ow…"

Naruto grimaced and rubbed the back of his head, before pulling himself up into a sitting position. This platform's drawing was of another woman in a weird dress, blue-tinged where the previous one had been yellow. Naruto looked at the edges, and noted the cartoonish-style mice in little circles.

"This is probably the _weirdest_ dream I've ever had," Naruto complained, getting up to his feet.

_**Now is not the time for complaint. This is the second test.**_

Little black puddles appeared on the platform, oozing for him. Naruto stepped back a little, as they began to rise up and take shape.

"The hell are these things?" Naruto shouted.

_**These are expressions of darkness, which lie within all things**_. The things now looked like little men with large bug-like yellow eyes and antenna. Jerkily they moved for him, tiny clawed fingers reaching out for Naruto. Out of instinct Naruto pulled a kunai from his leg pouch and threw it at one of the things, but it phased right through it, doing no damage.

"What the-?"

_**Normal weapons will not work against the darkness… The power to stop them must come from within…**_

Naruto grimaced as he dodged a few of the shadow creatures, leaping high over their heads with his ninja skills. However, more and more began to emerge, and Naruto soon found himself with nowhere to jump to. He pulled the shield and sword from his back… And looked back at the hordes of creatures, the voice's words replaying in his mind.

_Within, right? Okay, let's see if this does anything!_ With that, Naruto focused chakra into the weapons. Immediately they changed shaped and with a burst of light, the blond ninja found himself holding the staff he'd seen floating on the previous platform. One of the creatures leaped for him out of the swarm, and with a swing of the blue rod it was rendered dust.

"Now _that's_ more like it!" Naruto shouted, leaping forward and slashing through the swarm.

His chakra-augmented agility, while poor by his peer's standards, easily let him finish off the creatures.

"Ha! That wasn't' so hard!"

_**Your heart is strong. Few have made it past this test.**_

Naruto considered the staff.

"So, why the staff? What happened to my sword?"

_**When you choose a path to take, you also give up another. Your conscious choice was of the guardian, while your unconscious chose the mystic. To have these, you gave up the power of the warrior. At least that was how it was supposed to be...**_

The staff vanished and Naruto was left with nothing in the darkness.

_**However, within you lies darkness as well as light, **_the voice went on.

Naruto blinked and looked up, as though trying to pinpoint where it was coming from.

"You… You mean… The Kyuubi?"

_**Not only the demon, but darkness found in all beings-Hate, sorrow, greed, fear, ignorance, anger, pride. Having these is part of existence, but there are those who let the darkness inside them overwhelm the light. Those creatures you slew were such examples.**_ Naruto gulped, eyeing the spotless mosaic underneath his feet.

"You mean… Those things…?"

_**Do not mourn them, the voice said,**_ almost comfortingly. _**They are not true beings any longer, but manifestation of people's darkness. They became so steeped in their own darkness that it took on a will of its own-To find more hearts and corrupt them as their own were.**_

Naruto clenched his fist as he thought back to the reality outside of the blackness.

"Like… Mizuki?"

_**The one you speak of has let his darkness overwhelm him, though his transformation is far more subtle. The worst monsters are those who do not appear as such. And not all beasts are filled with darkness within.**_

Naruto nodded marginally.

"Okay… What's next?"

_**The last test…**_ The platform, instead of shattering, seemed to produce mini-platforms in a long set of stairs leading up. Naruto shrugged, and hopped along, taking the steps two at a time. This platform, he immediately noticed, was… _Different_.

A tall, blonde woman, long hair curling down past her shoulders, stood surrounded by black thorny vines. In three little circles above her, three odd-looking women in matching tall, pointed-hats tied under their chins held expressions of worry. In the background, a menacing woman with horns stood, a single hand raised. Naruto gulped, and saw a doorway on the other side. It shone brightly, and Naruto was forced to shield his eyes.

"What… What do I do?"

_**The closer to light you walk, the longer your shadow… But don't be afraid. Don't stop walking.**_

"And… If I do? Stop walking, I mean?" Naruto asked, his voice wavering only a little as he step back... his shadow begun to grow and change... into the _that_... The form it took was familiar to Naruto. He'd never known how or why, until now, why his nightmares had sometimes held the image of a gigantic fox with nine tails. But here, his shadow took the form of the great demon, glowing red eyes and whiskers leering at him from the darkness.

_**Then the darkness will consume not only you, but everything you hold dear**_, the voice warned.

Terror filled Naruto's chest, icy cold and paralyzing. He shook as the raw killing intent of this being washed over him, mocking him, and he fell to his bottom, shivering.

"How… How… Hello? Voice? Hello? Hell-GAH!"

Naruto rolled just in time as a massive tail slammed down where he had sat moments before. He rolled up to a standing position, struggling to fight the suffocating terror.

**"Why do you try?"** The shadow asked, its glowing red mouth curling in to a sneer.

**"Why do you continue? Your life has no meaning… Your dreams are nonsense. You are weak and foolish and can barely stand before me. So why?"**

Images of Naruto's mistreatment, his failures, the mocking laughter of his peers, the derisive snorts of villagers, the sad faces of the Hokage, Iruka-sensei…

_Iruka-sensei…_

_"Naruto is not the fox! He's nothing like a demon! He works hard, puts his everything into succeeding. And yes, he sometimes fails, and yes, everyone jumps on him, but he gets right back up and keeps trying. He never returns hatred with hatred, he never gives up, and every time he puts his whole heart into it! That is what separates him from the Kyuubi! He's nothing like it!"_

Naruto shook, and grit his teeth, looking up at the menace towering above him.

"Because… So long as one person believes in me… One person cares about me… I'll do anything, and everything I can to protect that person!"

Naruto snarled and held his hands to his sides.

"You can knock me down like all the rest! You can insult me, attack me, mock me, beat me into a pulp! But I will never, _ever_, give up! You can't scare me into quitting! You'll have to _kill me first!_" Naruto roared. The sword and shield flashed into the boy's hands and he raised them up.

Naruto charged, leaping to avoid a tail, before twisting in mid-air to avoid another. As though receiving cues he spun out of the way of another swinging tail and landed on another, leapt up and thrust his sword right at the Shadow Fox's wide eyes.

"YAH!" Naruto bellowed, striking the demon across the nose, before spinning like a top to land another blow before falling back. Naruto grabbed onto one of the shadow's waving tails and swung himself back up. The fox fell back as Naruto continued raining blows on its head, its tails moving too slowly to intercept the orange-clad ninja.

**"INSECT!"** The beast roared, falling back off the platform entirely into the shadows from one last strike in the snout. Naruto fell back, landing in a sprawled heap on the edge of the woman's dress. He shook his head of any dizziness… Before the whole platform began to tilt.

"Oh shit!" Naruto yelled, and he tried to stab his sword into the ground with which to try and slow his descent, but it scraped uselessly against the hard material. Naruto barely got a grip on the edge of the disk with one hand, his shield clutched tightly in the other while the sword fell into the inky darkness.

"Damn… damn…" he muttered, sweat beading on his forehead. He felt a gust of wind blow down on him, and he dared to trace the sensation's path.

A vast, glowing vortex had appeared far below him, being produced by the Shadow Fox's gaping jaws. Naruto's grip loosened, little by little, as he kicked his legs in an attempt to gain some footing.

"SHIT!" Naruto cursed, slipping off the platform entirely and falling for the vortex. The dark demon's red eyes narrowed in victory, which Naruto noticed and returned with a glare. Answering another strange, unconscious cue, he pulled the shield off his left arm and, as though winding up to pitch a baseball, and hurled his weapon into the maelstrom.

_KABOOM! _Naruto's vision was stolen, but he felt himself falling again, only this time to land on a hard, familiar surface. The shield flew back towards Naruto and he caught it. The Shadow Fox lay before him, it's head on the platform in front of him, it's tails limp. Wearily it looked up at Naruto.

**"You… How…?"**

Naruto held the shield up and prepared to throw it again when he saw the shadow fox open its mouth once more. An orb of black energy started to grow with red and black blobs of energy were pulled into it. Naruto screamed a battle cry, and rushed the shadow, leaping straight for its head. He took his shield and rammed it right between the monster's jaws. It roared in agony around the shield, light erupting from the crevices between its teeth and quickly spreading, dissolving, eroding the monster away, until nothing remained.

The triumphant blonde fell back from his leap, flipping backwards… Landing face first on the platform.

"OW! SON OF A-!"

The blond cursed, pushing himself up by his arms and holding his tender nose. Noticing his shadow, again, before him, he poked it once with his foot. Naruto breathed a deep sigh of relief while grabbing the shield and clumsily getting to his feet.

_**You have succeeded.**_

"Yeah, no thanks to you," Naruto muttered.

_**That was a foe only you could have defeated**_, the voice said. _**I had no place in it.**_

"So… Can I save Iruka-sensei now?" The blonde demon-container asked.

_**Yes, but be warned. This power is yours, and can never be given back. If you keep this trial's lessons in your heart, if you stay true to yourself and the light within, you will do great things with it.**_

Naruto paused at the threshold of the door of light and looked back. In the darkness he could make out three figures that weren't there a moment ago. One was clearly female and the other were male, one taller than the other. Each one pointed a sword looking weapon that was difficult to see in the dark at the door and twisted, almost as if turning a key. Naruto turned back and took a deep breath.

"And if I fall into darkness…?"

The light increased in intensity, filling his vision and mind, as the voice's last words reached him.

_**You know the answer to that already… Keybearer…**_

* * *

><p>Iruka struggled to get back up, but the wounds in his legs and back bled heavily. He felt dizzy, and his vision was slightly clouding. Mizuki's grin was all too clear though.<p>

"Well, goodbye Iruka. Don't worry, you'll be seeing your demon student soon enough," the silver-haired man, once his friend, laughed mockingly. With a burst of chakra the giant shuriken in his hand began to spin like a buzzsaw, and Mizuki rushed forward. Iruka grit his teeth, determinedly staring his death in the face as a true shinobi.

_Naruto… I'm sorry…_

As though summoned from his thoughts, the orange clad boy in question appeared in front of him. His eyes widened, his voice tried to yell out a warning…

A flash of light and Mizuki was flying back. Over Naruto's shoulder Iruka could see the anger and shock in the traitor's face.

"YOU!"

Naruto snarled, gripping his weapon in both hands. A moment passed where he looked over the weapon.

_Keybearer, huh… Well, least the title fits,_ Naruto thought wryly. Despite its almost ridiculous appearance, Naruto could feel the raw power the weapon emitted, a power that seemed to echo in his chest.

_No… Not my chest… My heart…_

_**This is the Keyblade… Your heart's power given form.**_

Naruto blinked, a bit confused at the Voice popping back up in the "real world."

"N-Naruto!"

Naruto shook his head free of distraction and swung forward, parrying Mizuki's thrown giant shuriken and sending it spinning off into the dark trees. Mizuki himself snarled at Naruto.

"What-What-_What the hell is that?_"

Naruto smirked, before forming the ram seal in front of the hilt of the weapon.

"Hope you're watching, Iruka-sensei… This is for graduation," he said calmly, never minding Iruka's gawk. The blond took a deep breath.

_"KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!"_

At once the clearing was filled with Narutos, all with Keyblades, and all glaring at an increasingly pale Mizuki. The original raised his weapon up over his head.

"CHARGE!"

And the last thing Mizuki would remember from this night was a flood of ninja in orange, wielding giant keys that they proceeded to hit him with. A lot.

Iruka could not help staring at the orange-clad blond, giant key-shaped weapon leaning against his shoulder, walking calmly up to him. Behind him, a beaten Mizuki lay, covered in gashes and bruises so numerous he looked more the victim of a stampede of bulls instead of a boy.

A boy with a Jounin-level jutsu at his command.

A boy wielding a weapon that Iruka had only seen mentioned in ancient legends.

"Iruka-sensei? You okay?"

Iruka nodded, popping a soldier pill into his mouth. Using a very basic medical jutsu, he ran a glowing hand over the worse of his injuries. Naruto knelt next to him, giant-key-weapon still laying across his shoulder. He looked at his sensei in concern.

"You got pretty beat up, Iruka-sensei… I'm sorry," Naruto said.

"I tried to find a jutsu to help you with, but…" Iruka smiled at the blond, who looked uncharacteristically melancholy.

"You… Got that… Whatever-it-is… From the scroll?" Iruka asked. Naruto nodded.

"Keyblade. Yeah, and Kage Bunshin too…"

Naruto trailed off, wincing. Iruka shook his head and clapped Naruto on the shoulder, smiling when Naruto's eyes rose to meet his.

"You did very well, Naruto… I'm very, _very_ proud of you…"

Naruto smiled back-Softer and more subdued than what Iruka had remembered out of his student… But it was still Naruto.

"Now then," Iruka went on, getting to his feet and waving off an extended hand from the blond, "close your eyes."

Naruto blinked, and then shrugged as he complied. He felt fabric descend onto his forehead, and the ends of a bandanna be tied around the back of his head. He grinned, and opened his eyes to a beaming Iruka, the rising sun's first rays giving his teacher an ethereal glow.

"You, Naruto, have proven yourself a ninja of Konoha, through and through," he said, paternal pride in his voice. Naruto felt tears begin to gather at the corners of his eyes, but he fought them back, instead moving forward and wrapping his sensei up in a hug, which was returned.

Naruto, however, felt the Keyblade in his grip still, and a frown came onto his face. Iruka, pulling back a little, saw the change in the blonde's expression and frowned as well.

"Naruto?"

The boy ninja released the hug entirely, turning a bit at an angle to Iruka and studying the Keyblade.

"Iruka-sensei… I think we need to see the Hokage…"

Observing the events as they unfolded through his crystal ball, the Hokage smirked wryly as he read Naruto's lips.

_That you do, Naruto… That you do…_

* * *

><p><strong>Update 1017/11: Changed some scenes that will fit better with the future of this story while also fixing up some grammar and spelling errors. Now with help from L33thoro who has agreed to do artwork if the need arises. Please enjoy the update.**

_Updated 12/13/07: Did some additional editing, as well as removing all mention of "dattebayo". As it's intended to be added onto the end of a sentence to emphasize it and make it sound tougher, for story purposes it has been replaced with a simple emphasis on certain words and, where appropriate, swearing._

_Updated 4/10/07: Edited spacing in order to make it easier to tell who is talking, as well as some grammar mistakes._

_Update 4/5/07: Due to my beta-reader, I've changed most of the Japanese dialogue in this fic to the English translation. From now on, only honorifics, jutsus, names, and a few catchphrases will be in Japanese._

_Just so you guys know, this is still a "flashback" Naruto is having with Kakashi._

_I know the Deep Dive thing didn't happen exactly as it did in the first KH game. It's not supposed to. I do hope I did the battle against the Shadow Fox with enough detail to not render it cheesy. As always, please share your thoughts and comments by reviewing-It's the only way I know how the story is going over after all._

_Preview for Chapter Three:_

_"I-I've n-never seen an-anything like it… Wh-what is it, N-N-Naruto-kun?"_

_"Um… Guess you could call it a family heirloom, heh…"_


	3. Relight Hikari

_**llVoice of Destiny/Inner Sakura**_

"Normal Talking"

_Thoughts/Sound Effects_

_"Flashback dialogue/Japanese/Emphasis of words"_

**"Demon speak"**

_A fanfiction originally by Andrew J. Talon and redone & continued by NanashiX, beta-ed and co-written by L33t Horo_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Kingdom Hearts, Disney, or any other copyrighted material. The story idea, concept, and original are owned by Andrew Joshua Talon. The continuation is mine and I do this out of pure enjoyment and my love of the story._

Key Through the Heart: Rebirth

* * *

><p>The Sandaime's tower had never seemed so… <em>Intimidating<em> before to Naruto, as he and Iruka walked towards the double doors, ANBU flanking them. Iruka held the forbidden scroll, while Naruto still held the Keyblade, leaning back on his shoulder. Though their faces were hidden by their trademark masks, Naruto could tell that they were staring at him. There was no killing intent (and growing up in a village where most of the inhabitants hated you tended to make you aware of that kind of thing), but definitely a general uneasiness in the air.

_Maybe because a kid who didn't even pass the academy exams got past them all, _Naruto thought, and smirked a bit before the double doors opened and he and his teacher walked inside.

The Third Hokage was behind his desk, fingers stapled before him. He surveyed both with an impassive expression. Iruka gingerly handed the scroll over, and the Hokage's face finally broke into a small smile.

"Mizuki tricked Naruto into stealing the scroll for him," Iruka began, but the Hokage held up a hand for silence.

"I know most of the particulars of this night… So, I'll let you ask some questions now. Naruto?"

Naruto grimaced, and rubbed the back of his head with his free hand nervously.

"Old Man… Why didn't you ever tell me I was the Kyuubi?"

The Hokage chuckled a bit, causing Naruto to glare.

"Hey! This isn't funny, Old Man!"

"Naruto, I'm _laughing_ because of how far this stupidity has run," the Hokage sighed, shaking his head.

"Naruto, you are not the Kyuubi, you merely contain it."

Naruto blinked, and turned to Iruka, who sighed.

"I know that you were told that the Fourth Hokage died twelve years ago killing the Kyuubi… I even taught that. But, the truth is that while the Fourth Hokage was indeed powerful, even he was not strong enough to kill the Nine Tails."

Sarutobi nodded.

"A demon like the Kyuubi cannot be truly killed, because it is simply not designed to die. So, the Yondaime instead created a sealing jutsu that would seal the Kyuubi's soul and power away, bound to a human soul."

Naruto gawked, and unconsciously ran his hand down his stomach.

"You mean… The seal that shows up whenever I mold chakra…?"

Sarutobi nodded gravely, and smiled in a paternal way.

"In truth, it was probably the most brilliant invention the Fourth ever came up with. The Shiki Fujin is a prison that contains the soul and chakra of the Fox and binds it to yours. When you die, the Kyuubi dies, and thus the threat is gone forever. However, you are only mildly influenced by its presence." The Hokage said. _At least the threat is gone forever to my knowledge. The Biju are entities of great mystery, they are…_

Naruto rubbed his cheek.

"Like my whiskers?"

Sarutobi nodded.

"And, I suspect, your stamina and fast healing. Have you noticed Naruto that not once have you ever gotten sick? That injuries that take weeks to heal for others take only days for you? The Fourth intended that-He designed the seal to give you the most benefit of having the Kyuubi within you."

Naruto frowned.

"Except for the hatred of the villagers," he muttered. Iruka frowned as well, and Sarutobi sighed.

"The Fourth had hoped that the village would see you as its savior-You keep the Fox from rampaging, and the advantages it offers you give you great potential as a ninja. But, to them you are only a reminder of what the Kyuubi took from them, the terror, the death…"

Naruto sighed, and looked at the Keyblade.

"And this thing?"

Sarutobi smiled.

"The Keyblade… Of all who have attempted to use Moguru no Yuushuu, you are among the first to come out of the trance without becoming a demon."

Iruka gawked and Naruto blinked.

"A-A-A _demon_?" this was news to him.

Sarutobi smirked.

"For years we thought that _Moguru no Yuushuu_ was a transformation jutsu, taking the soul out of the body and deliberately encasing it in the shell of a dark beast, so it was made forbidden. It is likely Mizuki was stealing the scroll for Orochimaru to get that jutsu."

"Then why was it so easy for me to get?" Naruto asked. He blinked at the incredulous expression on the Hokage's face.

"What? I know that the ANBU should have caught me. Hell, you caught me, and I was only able to escape because of Sexy no-"

"Ahem, yes, well," Sarutobi coughed, hiding a mild blush.

"It was mainly because I told the ANBU to let you into the tower whenever you needed to."

Naruto looked down at the ground, immensely disappointed.

"Oh…"

The Hokage smiled slightly.

"But enough of that… Tell me what happened while you used the _Moguru no Yuushuu_."

Naruto nodded, and quickly summarized his experience, from the voice to the Shadow Kitsune. Iruka remained silent, eyes full of concern when Naruto related the Voice's warning.

"It told me… That this power… The Keyblade, could lead to great darkness… But I'm not sure how," Naruto shrugged, looking the strange weapon over. "I mean, this thing doesn't look too dangerous…"

The Hokage smirked.

"Naruto, would you mind handing me the Keyblade?"

Naruto shrugged, and tossed it over to the old man, who caught it deftly. Not a second later, the key-shaped weapon vanished in a white flash of light, and returned in a similar flash to Naruto's hand. Iruka and Naruto gawked at this, while Sarutobi nodded, his thoughts seemingly confirmed.

"The Keyblade is bound to your soul, Naruto-Your heart, in essence. It has become, essentially, an extension of you, a part of your soul given physical form. Now, according to legend, long ago another Keybearer came to this world."

Naruto blinked.

"What do you mean _this_ world?"

Iruka rubbed the bridge of his nose, assuming his lecturing position.

"The legend of the Keybearer, and the Keyblade, states that as a person has a heart, so too do worlds. And the Keyblade allows it's user to access anything. Any lock, any secret… And any heart. Through the Keyblade, you can open the connections between two hearts-Whether they are of people, or of worlds. So the legend states," Iruka concluded, and Sarutobi nodded approvingly.

"Couldn't have put it better myself, Iruka. The Keybearer traveled the universe, unlocking the connections between worlds and spreading good to each he visited. He fought darkness, conquered it, and sealed the hearts of people and worlds against darkness that threatened to consume and destroy them."

The Sandaime sighed, and leaned back in his chair. Naruto's grip on the Keyblade tightened a little.

"But… The Keybearer himself was not immune to darkness. We are not sure how, or why, but when the Keybearer turned to evil, he began unlocking the hearts of worlds, filling the souls of those worlds with the darkness within him. They were consumed, and destroyed, all their inhabitants dying or worse, until finally he himself was destroyed, and the Keyblade master less."

Sarutobi sighed deeply, and looked Naruto deeply in the eyes. The blond tried not to look away from the _deadly_ seriousness in the Hokage's gaze.

"Naruto… The Keyblade is tied to your heart. But you also have the Kyuubi in you… In time, its influence on you may grow... due to it using negative emotions it might corrupt you when you are on a heightened state of emotion"

"I thought the Kyuubi couldn't affect me because of the seal!" Naruto responded, nerves making his voice higher than usual. The Hokage sighed.

"Normally, yes, but the Keyblade is tied directly to you. While using the Keyblade to focus your chakra may give you incredible abilities, it also allows the Kyuubi's demonic chakra to enter it. A little at a time, maybe more if you learn to deliberately harness it. But, while the Kyuubi's chakra is no doubt powerful, it is also tainted with its darkness." Sarutobi pointed at the Keyblade, which Naruto now regarded with suspicious eyes.

"The Keyblade chose you as its wielder because it found you suitable-You rejected the evil within you and committed yourself to light. But, the life of a shinobi can easily lead down a path of darkness. This is not a game-You must kill, or be killed in many instances, and such things can take their toll on a soul. And there is no doubt in my mind that the Kyuubi will try to use the Keyblade to influence you."

Naruto gritted his teeth.

"So… What do I do? I can't get rid of this thing, and if it's as powerful as those legends say it is…" The blond trailed off, uncharacteristically pensive.

Iruka laid a comforting hand on Naruto, as Sarutobi smiled through the gloom.

"Naruto, the Keyblade chose you. For what, I am unsure, but there is no doubt that there is a purpose in it. A purpose it would not have given you if it did not think you could accomplish it. So, believe in yourself, as I do. Iruka-sensei does, Old Man Ichiraku and Ayame-chan also. As you grow, and show people your true soul, more will believe in you, more will open their hearts to you. It is my precious people who remind me, everyday, of why I continue to be Hokage, but more importantly, to believe in myself."

Naruto nodded slowly, looking much calmer. Iruka smiled, and the blond managed a small, but genuine one back.

"Thanks, Old Man…" Sarutobi nodded.

"Um, Hokage-sama," Iruka began. "The Keyblade itself…"

The Sandaime frowned thoughtfully.

"Hm, yes… Telling people you wield a legendary weapon like that will probably not go over well… So instead, Naruto, tell those who ask about it that it is a family heirloom. A weapon fashioned after the legendary Keyblade." The Sandaime smiled.

"One you should _definitely_ put in a lot of effort to master."

Naruto blinked.

"Huh?"

Iruka shook his head.

"Naruto, the more you know about how to use it and what it can do, the better a weapon it will become. And, the more control you will have over it."

Naruto nodded, his mouth forming a silent "oh" in understanding.

"All right… I'll train non-stop! I mean, now that I can do Kage Bunshin, I'll have lots of practice partners!" Naruto grinned… Before adopting a more serious look.

"Um, Old Man, about the family heirloom thing… Wouldn't it be more convincing if I knew who my family was?"

Sarutobi sighed, looking rather tired.

"I'm sorry Naruto, but I can't tell you that. Not until you are sixteen, at least. This, coincidentally, would have been the age I would have told you about the Kyuubi."

Naruto sighed, and shrugged, smiling almost sadly.

"Yeah… Okay… Um, I've been up all night, so can I go sleep?"

The Sandaime and Iruka sweatdropped, but the former managed to recover and nodded with a smile. Naruto turned to Iruka and grinned.

"See you in a week, Iruka-sensei! Just you wait-I'll be the best ninja there!"

Iruka laughed.

"Allright Naruto. I look forward to it! Just please, try to be on time…"

Naruto pouted.

"I will! Sheesh, I'm only late to the boring stuff." Iruka's eyebrow twitched.

"_Boring_ stuff?"

Naruto smirked and stuck his tongue out, before leaping out the window, Keyblade leaning against his shoulder.

"See ya later, Old Man! Iruka-sensei!"

Iruka scowled after him into the early morning… Before shaking his head with an exasperate smile. He turned back to face the Hokage once more. The old man looked solemn, contemplating his desk.

"Hokage-sama… Are you _sure_ you can't tell him about his family?"

"His father's orders were very explicit," Sarutobi replied quietly.

"And besides… With the Keyblade and Kyuubi, he'll be getting enough attention as it is. If his parentage was revealed…"

Sarutobi's gaze went to the wall with four portraits hanging from it, and his eyes rested on the last one. Iruka's eyes found the Hokage's target, and they widened.

"You… You mean…?"

Sarutobi smirked.

"Seems pretty obvious now, doesn't it?"

Iruka gulped, and turned back to his hokage.

"Then… His mother…?"

Sarutobi nodded.

"I know who she was… And he'd be in no better straits with her identity revealed either. Still Iruka, I think he's already discovered that family is more than blood…"

* * *

><p><em>He was falling, air rushing by him at incredible speed, but his eyes were closed. He felt water envelope him, its cool embrace slowing his descent…<em>

_He opened his eyes. He blinked, looking around a forest clearing, butterflies flying about the long grass. A girl waved at him in the distance, long brown hair framing a cheerful, smiling face. Naruto felt himself smiling back, happiness at seeing this girl, _familiarity_ rising within him…_

_Her expression changed to shock, one hand covering her mouth while the other pointed to his right and up. Naruto turned and gasped-A person was falling from the clouds, orange clothing and blond hair fluttering-_

_And then he was falling, looking down on Konoha. The field he had been standing in still visible, the girl alone now, watching. He looked directly down and saw a ceremonial pond in the courtyard of a huge complex, and he closed his eyes as he hit the water, sinking, flailing again…_

_He found his feet as the abyss around him stopped being water, just like in the Deep Dive. He found himself standing on a very similar platform, only decorated with the mural of a giant fox with nine tails, facing a giant toad wearing a hakama and smoking a pipe. A familiar-looking man stood on the toad's head, until a bright light issued, blanking out the platform. Naruto looked up as nine figures dressed in black robes and straw bucket hats surrounded him. The Keyblade appeared in his hand to block a sword strike from one, whose red eyes glared out from the shadow cast by the hat-_

_The figure fell back, transforming with the surroundings, darkness dissolving in the face of sunlight. A black-haired, black-eyed boy in blue stood in the surf of a beach, smirk on his face and hand extended towards Naruto. A massive wave closed in on them, and Naruto ran forward, hand also extended, trying to reach the boy-_

_The wave struck them both, and Naruto once again found himself under water. He looked back towards the boy who drifted away, hand still reaching for his, but try as Naruto could, he could not close the distance. Naruto fell back, and he was falling again…_

_He landed once more in the dark abyss, standing on a platform. He could only get a quick look at it (two women stood together-One with red hair, feral eyes and whiskers, glaring away from a woman with long brown hair and gentle hazel eyes smiling sadly) before a figure completely covered in a black coat and hood attacked, a large, black and red sword with curling blades meeting his own silver and yellow Keyblade. Naruto parried the attacker's blow, leaping up and front-flipping over the head of the stranger. Keyblade extended, he struck his assailant's head, landed and twisted around to strike him in the back._

_The assailant met Naruto's strike, and the blond gaped. Smirking back at him through a slashed hood, his own face confronted him, blood red eyes boring into his own. His red-eyed double shoved Naruto back with incredible force, sending him crashing through a platform that shattered like a stained-glass window. As though in slow motion, Naruto saw various images in the window separate, spinning with him in his flight. One of Iruka. Another of Sakura-chan. Another of the black-eyed boy._

_A pale-eyed blonde. A brunette with pupil-less eyes. A red-haired boy with black rings around his green eyes…_

_All shattered before him from some invisible force and he was falling, vision darkening…_

"BWAH!"

_THUD!_

"Ow…"

Naruto mumbled against hard wood. With some difficulty, he pushed himself into a sitting position, leaning against his bed and rubbing his nose in irritation.

"Dammit…" The blond sighed, getting up to his feet and stretching.

"Stupid dream…"

His stomach growled, and the blond groaned, looking at the clock by his rickety bed.

"Damn! I'm going to miss lunch!"

Naruto cursed, yanking off the pajamas he'd donned for his "morning nap" and running to the hamper in green boxers for his jumpsuit. Out of habit, he'd stuck it into the small container with the intention of washing it (as he did nearly every day-It was one of the few he had that weren't either too small for him to squeeze into or failing at the seams), and as he pulled it out he made a face at how bad it smelled.

"Crap, can't wash it in time for lunch! Oh _man_…"

Naruto sighed and looked around the apartment… A good-sized package that was sitting on the table catching his eye. Naruto walked over and looked at the simple note attached.

"_'Dear Naruto, sorry it took so long to get you some new clothes but the orphan's fund treasurer has been difficult. These should tide you over for a while. Sincerely, Old Man Hokage.' _"

Eagerly, Naruto ripped off the tape holding the box shut, and yanked out an orange-and-blue short-sleeved jacket, a hood flopping against its back, where a red spiral had been knit in. Matching shorts and a brand new, blue weapon's pouch came next. Naruto saw that the box held at least two more pairs of jackets and shorts. He grinned, throwing on a black T-shirt and his new garments and heading out the door…

Before rushing back in with a curse. He'd forgotten the Keyblade! If he was going to do any training today, he didn't want to delay by having to rush back and-

A flash of light, and the weapon was sitting in his hand. Naruto blinked… Before grinning even wider than before.

"Awesome! I just wish my house keys were that easy to find," he laughed, forsaking the door entirely and leaping out the window, jumping from roof to roof.

Ichiraku Ramen soon came into sight, and Naruto landed outside, pushing through the flaps and setting the Keyblade leaning against the counter as he took his seat.

"Old Man, the usual please!"

Ichiraku smiled brightly at the sight of Naruto… Doing a double take from the cooking vats to gape at the forehead protector now sitting on Naruto's brow.

"Eh? Naruto, what are you doing with that?"

Naruto grinned and adjusted the headband slightly.

"I passed the exam! There was this… Uh… Extra credit thing that I did!"

Teuchi raised his eyebrow at the blond, while his daughter Ayame looked at Naruto, smiling but with eyes full of concern.

"Extra credit?"

Naruto sighed.

"Um, well… I'm not sure Old Man Hokage would appreciate me blabbing everything… But trust me when I say I _earned_ this," the blond emphasized by tapping his protector twice. Ichiraku smiled, before laughing.

"Ah, Naruto! That's great news!"

Ayame nodded, her bright smile instantly bringing a matching one to Naruto's face. Her gaze dropped, and she blinked at the Keyblade resting next to Naruto.

"Uh, Naruto, what about that? What's that thing?" Ayame asked. Teuchi eyed the weapon with a concerned look alongside his daughter.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head.

"It's… A family heirloom. I inherited it… From my family," Naruto explained, straight-faced. Ayame and her father sweatdropped. Teuchi sighed.

"This another one of those things the Hokage wouldn't want you blabbing about?"

Naruto's nervous smile was all the answer he needed, and he shook his head with a smirk.

"Never a dull day with you, is it?" The old chef laughed, turning and heading into the back of the shop.

Ayame stared for a few moments at the Keyblade, leading Naruto to wave his hand in front of her face.

"Ayame-chan? You okay?"

The brown-haired woman shook her head free of her trance, and smiled politely at Naruto.

"Oh yes… Hang on, Dad will need help with the rest of the ingredients…"

After a hearty lunch, Naruto had set out for a training field. Konoha was literally packed with them, ranging from simple fields with target posts for kunai throwing practice, to the vast Forest of Death.

Naruto just chose a nice, simple clearing with several dummies and posts set up. Looking around, he took a deep breath and held up the Keyblade, forming the ram seal over the handle.

_"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"_

The Keyblade glowed blue slightly for a moment, before patches of smoke blew up all around Naruto. He coughed slightly, before the wind cleared it and revealed the fruits of his jutsu. The blond blinked.

"Holy crap," he muttered, as the entire _field_ seemed filled with Narutos, all with the Keyblade in hand. Naruto grinned, and leaped up to the top of a post.

"All right, listen up everyone! You know what I want to do?"

"YEAH!" His numerous copies roared back.

The original thrust his Keyblade into the air above his head.

"Then let's get going!"

About two dozen shadow clones came forward to circle the post Naruto was standing on, while the rest set to sparring with eachother.

Naruto leaped off the post, a subconscious "nudge" directing him to dive while plunging his Keyblade into one clone. Its own Keyblade shot up and deflected Naruto's attack, sending the original spinning back and landing on his butt with a thud.

"OW! Hey!"

The clone shrugged.

"What? I blocked! You never said I couldn't defend myself"

"Yeah… Okay, let's go! For real this time you smart-ass!"

"You do know that I AM you... right?"

Naruto blinked.

The clones charged, yelling battle-cries which Naruto echoed. Deciding to ignore the subconscious cues for the moment, he slashed through a few, leap-flipping over a pair that had struck as one forward. He slashed them both from behind, a particularly violent "nudge" making him turn around. One of his clones threw it's Keyblade at Naruto, and the blond deflected it, charging forward. The counterfeit Keyblade poofed into non-existence like it's clone did on the end of the real thing. Naruto jumped up to avoid four of his doubles attacking from all sides, and spotting another that had risen up to hit him in the air, he threw the Keyblade as hard as he could.

The weapon blew right through the clone, and continued on towards the edge of the field. At that moment, a blue-haired girl in a gray coat was moving between trees. Her pale eyes caught sight of the incoming projectile and widened. Naruto cursed.

"Dammit! LOOK OUT OR-!"

The Keyblade vanished in a flash of light, a meter from the cringing girl, and reappeared back in Naruto's hand. The blond blinked, landing almost numbly. Around him, his clones continued battling, though a few stopped to stare at the red-faced girl. Naruto leaped forward, easily covering the distance between them.

"Uh, you okay? I'm sorry, um…"

What was this girl's name again? He'd seen her before… Hime… Hina…

"Hinata?"

The blue-haired girl nodded, finger nervously tapping in front of her stomach. Her face was red and averted.

"Y-Y-Yes, N-Naruto-k-kun," she responded quietly. Naruto rubbed his fingers against the palm of his empty hand, absently thinking he probably needed to get gloves-The Keyblade's hilt was rubbing his palms uncomfortably.

Naruto quickly refocused his thoughts to the girl before him, still nervously finger-tapping.

"Hinata, uh… Did you need something?"

Hinata shook her head.

"Ah! N-N-No, N-Naruto. I j-just, um, ah…"

Naruto frowned, then snapped his fingers.

"Oh! I'm sorry, were you going to train here?"

Hinata looked up at Naruto's face, blushing even harder before looking away again.

"Ah-Um, n-no, N-N-Naruto-kun," she squeaked.

"I-I can uh… U-Use a-another-"

"Nah, it's okay!" Naruto said happily, "we can share the field, right? OI, GUYS! MAKE SOME ROOM!"

The sea of Narutos instantly stopped fighting, before moving towards the far end of the field and resuming their battles. Hinata blinked at this, staring at Naruto in wonder.

"N-N-Naruto-kun? A-Are those, um, B-Bunshin?"

Naruto grinned.

"No, _Kage_ Bunshin. Cool huh?"

Hinata nodded furiously, looking down again… Her eyes catching sight of the Keyblade.

"A… Ano… Naruto-kun?" Hinata got out.

Naruto turned back from watching his clones and blinked at her.

"Yes, Hinata-chan?"

Hinata squeaked and seemed to blush even harder, making Naruto frown.

"Hinata-chan? You okay?" Hinata nodded, taking deep breaths.

"Y-Yes, N-N-Naruto-kun, but uh…"

Hinata looked away a bit again.

"Y-Your w-weapon…?"

The blond ninja raised up the Keyblade, smiling embarrassingly.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry about almost hitting you, I didn't see you…"

"N-N-No, N-Naruto-kun! It-it's okay, I just…"

Hinata managed to steer her eyes to the weapon, glistening in the sunlight.

"I-I've n-never seen an-anything like it… Wh-what is it, N-N-Naruto-kun?" She asked, a hint of wonder in her soft voice.

Naruto closed his eyes thoughtfully, before responding.

"Um… Guess you could call it a family heirloom, heh…"

Naruto swung it around a few times.

"It's called the-Um, I mean… _A_ Keyblade," Naruto explained.

Hinata smiled shyly.

"I-It l-looks v-v-very, um… Im-Impressive," she stuttered.

Naruto nodded with a smile.

"Thanks!"

"Y-Y-You're w-w-welcome," Hinata returned.

They stood in silence for a few moments.

"Hey, Hinata-chan? Um, I kind of need to get back to training…"

Hinata nodded, fingers tapping.

"R-R-Right, N-Naruto-kun…"

"Hey, if you don't have anyone else, you could train with me?"

Hinata blinked, nervously shaking her head.

"W-W-What? I-I mean, um, I'm n-not very g-good and-"

"Well, that's why you train, right?" Naruto laughed, taking her by the hand and pulling her towards his clones.

"I'm sure we can-"

Naruto abruptly noticed that it was getting harder to pull Hinata. Naruto turned around and gawked at a passed out Hinata lying on the ground.

"Hinata-chan? Hinata-chan! Speak to me!"

In his rush to check her pulse, he didn't notice the dreamy smile.

* * *

><p><strong>I am no longer going to show Andrew J. Talon's updates due to the fact that what I am editing and reloading is basically the last updated version of what he did. I and L33t horo basically add what we believe would fit and take out what doesn't need to be in.<strong>

_Moguru no Yuushuu is roughly translated as to dive into the deep contemplation_

_Preview for Chapter Four:_

_"YOSH! NARUTO, YOUR WEAPON IS THE EPITOME OF THE EXPRESSION OF YOUTHFULNESS! BEATEN ONLY BY GAI-SENSEI! Surely your family shared the same values!"_

_"Uh… Yeah… Sure…" Tenten shook her head in fond exasperation._

_"Relax, there's no way you're related. Look at the eyebrows…"_


	4. Knights and Mornings After

_**llVoice of Destiny/Inner Sakura**_

"Normal Talking"

_Thoughts/Sound Effects_

_"Flashback dialogue/Japanese/Emphasis of words"_

**"Demon speak"**

_A fanfiction originally by Andrew J. Talon and redone & continued by NanashiX, beta-ed and co-written by L33t Horo_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Kingdom Hearts, Disney, or any other copyrighted material. The story idea, concept, and original are owned by Andrew Joshua Talon. The continuation is mine and I do this out of pure enjoyment and my love of the story._

Key Through the Heart: Rebirth

Xxx

"And then?" Kakashi prompted Naruto (who of course had been the one relating the entire story).Naruto flushed a bit, rubbing the back of his head.

"Well, um… She woke up eventually, but she was still pretty woozy, so I cut my practice short and walked her home."

The blond demon container frowned thoughtfully.

"Is she, you know… _Anemic_ or something? Hinata-chan that is?"

The silver-haired jounin easily resisted the urge to laugh, and schooled his face into its usual nonchalant expression.

"No."

Naruto frowned.

"Okay… So, Kakashi-sensei… Can you help me with my training?"

Kakashi sighed.

"Naruto, I can't play favorites. I will be training you all to improve your abilities as ninja, but more importantly, as a team. But don't worry, you will be learning a lot from me."

Naruto grinned happily at this.

"Thanks, Kakashi-sensei!"

The jounin shrugged and turned around.

"Don't mention it. See you tomorrow. Be early."

Naruto rolled his eyes.

"I _saw_ that," Kakashi stated.

Naruto stuck his tongue out at him, before turning around and making the Ram seal.

_"KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!"_

Four dozen Narutos appeared, wielding Keyblades of their own. The original smirked and swung his own weapon around by its chain.

"All right guys-_Bring_ it on!"

"YEAH!" They yelled, charging.

Kakashi smirked a little, before pulling out his Icha Icha Paradise and heading for the nearby road as the sounds of violence soon followed. He paused for a moment.

"You could train with him, you know," Kakashi said casually, before resuming his casual walk… As a badly blushing Hinata peeked out from behind a tree.

"Er… Um…"

Higher in the same tree, a black-eyed, black-haired boy dressed in blue and white snorted, before turning back to watch Naruto battle his clones. The same boy glowered as Naruto fought brilliantly with his weapon, dodging and slashing and tumbling as though he'd been fighting with the thing all his life.

_Where did you get that weapon, dead last?_

* * *

><p>Far from the rolling forests of Konoha, in the depths of Interspace, a small, brightly-colored world slowly orbited its bright yellow sun. Green dominated the continents, blue its oceans and fluffy white clouds lazily drifted in the atmosphere. On the largest continent, there was a great kingdom. White houses of stone with red roofs surrounded a massive white and blue castle, bearing banners and blue symbols similar to the three-circle-shaped charm on the end of Naruto's Keyblade.<p>

The outer walls enclosed sprawling green gardens with fountains and trimmed hedges in artistic arrangements, leading up to the main keep of the castle, a massive collection of proud towers stretching up into the night sky. Within one of these towers, gazing out a large window, a pensive-looking black mouse stood, gloved hands held behind his back. His gaze, rather on his kingdom (as judging by the crown on his head, he was in fact the king) was fixed on the star-filled sky above.

The room was messy study of some sort, shelves of fine wood holding books, scrolls, globes, and various other artifacts. Illuminated by a few old-fashioned lanterns, the orange light cast the chamber into eerie relief. At the entrance, large wooden door open, a female mouse in a pretty pink robe and wearing a small, matching crown stood, hands clasped before her stomach.

"Mickey? Mickey, are you alright?"

The king blinked slightly and turned around, smiling at the pink-clad mouse.

"Oh, sorry Minnie… Guess I was thinkin' too hard, heh."

Minnie sighed, shaking her head.

"Is it the Keyblade again?"

The king held out his gloved hand, and with a white flash of power a golden, key-shaped sword appeared. The mouse frowned at the weapon, experimentally swinging it a few times. He shrugged and smiled.

"Looks like every thing's working fine… Just…"

Mickey turned back to the window, black eyes narrowing in focus at a particular star. It was little different from surrounding stars in the sky, twinkling cheerfully. But the Keyblade in his hand seemed to single it out, the will behind the legendary weapon trying to express importance related to this world.

"Is it… Like the one before?" Minnie asked. "The one that went out?"

Mickey shook his head.

"No… This one seems safe enough… What that means though, well golly, got me…" Minnie sighed again, and crossed the room, pulling up the edge of her robe to step over the various books, scrolls, and objects littering the stone floor. She stopped before the king, arms crossed as a stern expression appeared on her face.

"Now Mickey, staying up all night… _Again_… Is not going to help."

"Aw, I know, I know," the king pouted. "It's just hard, you know? Something is calling out to the Keyblade… Something is coming and I don't know what."

"Depriving yourself of sleep won't help you figure it out, now will it?" Minnie pointed out reasonably, and the king sighed.

"When you're right, you're right." Mickey grinned.

"Knew I married you for a reason."

"Besides not being able to do this king job on your own?" Minnie replied with a smirk and wink.

Mickey chuckled, taking her in his arms.

"That, and _many_ other reasons," he said.

Minnie sighed and leaned in his embrace, shaking her head with a gentle smile.

"Waaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!"

_CRASH!_

Mickey and Minnie blinked in surprise.

"What was that?" Mickey asked, pulling away from the queen, Keyblade at the ready.

"It came from inside," Minnie stated, and the King nodded before running out the door. Minnie followed, Mickey rushing through various corridors and down staircases, until finally arriving at the massive doors to the throne room. Cautiously, he entered, looking about the vast chamber.

His eyes found a blue-clad duck, grumbling and rubbing his feathered bottom, sitting before one of the huge stone pillars lining the room.

"Donald? What are you doing?" Mickey groaned. "Don't tell me you've been at this new exercise of Merlin's since you _started_!"

Donald's bad mood abruptly vanished, and he smiled cheerfully at the king. Which, the king decided, was quite a feat, considering the magician had to have been at this for _hours_.

"Your Majesty! Um, well… Yes! But, just take a look at this!"

With that, Donald turned back around, holding his staff out before him. Blue energy came into existence, and traveled down to the duck's yellow feet. Determined, he put a webbed foot onto the pillar, before putting his other foot on the pillar. He pulled himself into a standing position on the stone, and began to walk up, slowly but surely. Mickey blinked in shock, as Minnie gasped.

"Huh? What's all the ruckus about, ayuck?" A tall, dog-like creature in armor asked, rubbing sleep out of his eyes as he walked into the throne room.

"Hey, Goofy! Look!" Donald called out.

The knight blinked at Donald, waving at him while standing on the pillar. He rubbed his eyes again.

"Hey, you're doing it!" Donald nodded proudly, crossing his arms over his chest. Mickey smiled.

"Well whadda ya know. It works, huh? But uh… Aren't you afraid of running out of magic and falling?" Mickey asked.

Donald shook his head.

"Well yes, your Majesty, eventually you will, but this exercise lets you increase how much magic you have at any one time. It's like exercising your magic muscles."

Mickey grinned, and Minnie frowned. She'd seen that look before.

"Oh no, you're not thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?"

"Aw, c'mon Minnie! Looks like Merlin's come up with an exercise we could all use. Nothing wrong with some extra magic, right? Or sticking to surfaces."

Mickey turned to Goofy.

"Goofy, I'd like you to start training our knights in this exercise."

Goofy saluted smartly.

"Yes sir, your Majesty!"

"But for now, it's _late_, and we should _all_ be getting to bed," Minnie reminded them, crossing her arms over her chest. Mickey smirked at her.

"I know, Minnie, I know. We'll try it tomorrow. Good work Donald!" Mickey complimented the duck. Donald puffed himself up a little more and grinned.

"Heh, I can't wait to show Daisy this when she gets back! She'll-!" Donald blinked, and abruptly realized that his magic was running out. The blue glow vanished from his feet.

He gulped.

"Uh oh," the duck got out, just before slipping back into gravity's embrace.

"WAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

_THUD!_ Minnie sighed, and walked towards the downed duck, healing spell at the ready. Mickey winced sympathetically, while Goofy just chuckled a bit.

"Well, least it ain't as bad as when he was tryin' to magic up fireworks, huh?" The knight stage whispered to the king.

Mickey smirked.

"Indeed…"

* * *

><p>Naruto felt himself falling once more, head first into darkness. The Keyblade flashed into his hand and cast a glow around him giving him light enough to see around him. Suddenly Naruto felt himself flipping on to his feet and landing on a hard surface. He looked around and noticed that he was on top of a platform once more, like when he first obtained the Keyblade. This platform depicted a person in a strange form of armor. The armor was segmented and was a deep red and gold color and the helmet that the person wore had two spikes that made it look like the wearer had bunny ears oddly enough.<p>

The person also carried a Keyblade and wielded it high above their head. They stood in a deep purple background with yellow circles surrounding them. Naruto scratched the back of his head and looked at the stained glass below him.

"Uh huh… why am I here again?" Naruto asked aloud into the darkness.

"To think you would be younger than _him_."

Naruto spun around and came face to face with an older girl with blue hair down to her shoulders. She wore a black tank top that hugged against the girl's chest and black spandex shorts like Sakura's that was covered by a what Naruto thought was a skirt. The girl also had black leggings that tucked into metal plated heals and a pair of white arm guards that went up past her elbow and functioned as gloves too.

Naruto blinked at the girl and tilted his head.

"Who are you?"

"I am Aqua," the girl held her hand to the side and a flash of light blinded Naruto for a moment, "your senior." Naruto gaped at the item that glowed in Aqua's hand as she held it forward. It was a Keyblade with a white curved guard and a blue blade that extended forward. There were two triangular holes on the blade, one close to the guard and the other near the top next to the "teeth" of the Keyblade. The teeth looked a lot more dangerous than Naruto's own Keyblade's. It looked like half a snowflake and Naruto could already tell the edges were dangerous.

"Um I see you have a Keyblade too," Naruto gulped. Aqua said nothing and then rushed forward. Naruto yelped and summoned his own Keyblade to block Aqua's. The girl's eyes locked onto Naruto's silver key with the golden guard and widened briefly.

_The Kingdom!_ Aqua kicked off of Naruto's stomach and spun around elegantly before landing in a crouch. She then burst forward and started to slash quickly and precisely at Naruto who was forced to block as many strikes as he could. The girl's attacks were too quick for the boy though and a horizontal slash sent Naruto reeling backwards and holding his stomach in pain.

"Damn what the hell is going on?" Naruto cursed. Aqua didn't let Naruto rest and ran forward once more making Naruto jump high. He looked down at the blue haired girl and saw her faze out of view.

_Wha-?_

Aqua appeared behind the boy and raised her blade to strike his back. As she swung down Naruto quickly placed his Keyblade behind his back to block the attack. The slash didn't hit Naruto but it still sent him careening down to the platform. He placed one hand on the ground and righted himself so he wouldn't fall on his face. Aqua landed gracefully and Naruto decided it was about time to go on the offensive. With a loud cry Naruto shot towards Aqua and lunged forward. His thrust was easily parried but the boy wasn't done yet. Using the force from the girl's block Naruto spun on his heel and aimed to hit Aqua's head. Again he was blocked but Naruto pulled back and hooked his Keyblade's teeth onto the girl's before twirling his body upwards and using the connected Keyblade's to slingshot his body above Aqua's.

Aqua looked up in mild shock as Naruto unhooked his blade and aimed to strike the girl's head. Moving quickly Aqua leaned forward and raised her back leg, kicking Naruto in the stomach.

Naruto flew backwards with wide eyes and a final thought before he hit the ground, _damn she's flexible_. The blonde impacted the ground and groaned as he heard Aqua walk towards him.

"You aren't the one _he_ is in," Aqua said as she stood over Naruto. "But you have potential. Who are you?" Aqua turned around and headed towards the darkness. Naruto pushed his body up with a grunt and stared at the girl's retreating form.

"Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto. Who is _he_? What are you talking about?" Naruto yelled out. "What's going on?" Aqua turned her head slightly as she continued to walk regarding the blonde boy once more and chuckled.

"You will be strong. I can feel from how powerful your heart is. Things will be tough but never give up." Aqua's form was almost gone before saying one last thing to Naruto. "If you ever come across a boy with the name of the _Sky_, stay close. He is important." Aqua disappeared into the darkness leaving a very confused boy.

"Hey wait! Wait! I need more information! You have a Keyblade you need to tell me what is going on!" Naruto received nothing but silence and he felt his body becoming lighter. He was waking up.

"_AQUA!_"

* * *

><p>Naruto slurped up the last of his cup of chicken ramen, licking his lips in satisfaction at his breakfast, before standing up from the kitchen table and walking back to his bedroom. He pulled on a set of his new clothes (over a long-sleeved black shirt he'd managed to dig up), and headed out the window, nimbly descending the four stories of his apartment to the road below. Cheerfully he smiled at a pair of old ladies chatting on the steps of another apartment. They glared back and spat as he passed, but he paid that no mind.<p>

_I'm a ninja now! A real ninja! So screw ya, old hags!_ The blond thought happily, following the road to the training ground. He'd gotten up earlier than usual, so he'd decided to take it easy and walk. There were things he needed to think about after last night. Who was Aqua? How many Keyblades were there in the world?

_And who is this boy that's related to sky?_ Naruto rubbed his chin and thought. It was all too much to take in. The wind blew across his face and Naruto looked into the bright sky. He would think of these things grinned, hands behind his head as he leisurely strolled. The sun was shining, birds were chirping, it was a beautiful, peaceful day.

Until two green blurs zoomed past Naruto, spinning the blond around like a top before he fell, dizzily, to the ground.

"Ugh… Wha… Huh?"

"Hey, are you okay?"

Naruto blinked, trying to make his eyes focus. A person-shaped blob, with pink and brown mixed among other colors, slowly transformed into a concerned-looking girl with brown hair in twin buns, a pink, Chinese-style shirt, and black silk pants.

"Huh?"

The girl sighed and extended a hand to Naruto, which he took. She pulled him up to his feet, though he still wobbled a bit.

"I'm sorry about that. My sensei and Lee like to run around the village a couple times every morning. This path is part of their route…" The girl went on, as Naruto's head still spun a little.

"Uh, um, I see," Naruto managed, holding his head. The girl giggled a little. Naruto blinked and frowned into the girl's face thoughtfully.

"Er… Have we… Met? Um… Tem, no… Tenten?"

The girl blinked, and nodded.

"Yeah, that's me. Who're you?"

"Uzumaki Naruto! Um, we were in class together!" Naruto replied.

Tenten narrowed her eyes in thought, before nodding as the memory came to her.

"Right! You were the one who got Iruka-sensei with a whoopee cushion!" Tenten laughed a little at the memory.

"That was hilarious!"

The blond grinned sheepishly.

"Er, well, I was having an off-day," Naruto confessed.

Tenten smiled happily at him.

"So, what brings you out here this early?"

"Team meeting, my first," Naruto replied with a grin.

Tenten nodded, and then frowned.

"Hey wait… If you were in my class, then how-?"

"I uh, failed the exam. Three times," Naruto confessed, a bit awkwardly. He quickly grinned at Tenten's apologetic look.

"But hey! No worries! One _little_ hurdle to becoming Hokage!"

Tenten laughed a little at that, and Naruto with her… Until he noticed that she was still holding his hand. The girl's eyes drifted down to their joined hands as well, and she quickly withdrew with a mild blush.

"Um, so… Who did you get as your sensei?" Tenten asked.

Naruto smiled.

"Hatake Kakashi. He's a little lazy, but still-"

"What is this? Has my eternal rival taken on a genin team?"

Naruto jumped a little at the large, green-clad, _grinning_ man who suddenly appeared. He wore a jounin vest over his skintight, _bright green_ spandex. Naruto's eyes widened just a little bit more as Tenten put a hand to her head with an exasperated smile.

"Yosh! At last, Gai-sensei! I too may have an eternal rival!"

A boy also clad in green, and seemingly a miniature version of the large man down to their eyebrows and black, bowl-cut hair, appeared next to him. Gai began to cry rivers of tears.

"_At last!_ My adorable student has a suitable rival! For only one instructed by MY OWN rival could hope to match the burning pillar of youth that is Rock Lee!"

"Oh Gai-sensei!" Lee sobbed, almost comically, as he leapt up and hugged Gai happily.

Gai returned it warmly, sniffling as though in great emotional distress.

Tenten sighed, and checked her watch, as Naruto continued to watch in confusion.

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Uh, excuse me?" Naruto asked, raising a hand as though in class. Tenten shot him a grateful look as the two green-clad ninjas parted.

_We were almost to the sunset, and by then it would be too late,_ she thought.

"Yes, Uzumaki Naruto?" Gai asked grandly.

Naruto blinked.

"Er, how do you know my name?"

Gai grinned, teeth flashing in the sun, as he gave Naruto a thumbs up.

"All know of the burning youth you possess, Naruto! Your determination in the face of adversity such as yours is worthy of praise! Only could a ninja, possessed of such fire could hope to surmount such odds!" Naruto couldn't help but smile back at this.

_So, someone thinks I'm a hero for the Kyuubi, and not a demon…_

"Yosh! Gai-sensei, may I ask what this burden of Naruto's is?" Lee inquired.

Gai shook his head solemnly.

"You can ask, but alas, I cannot divulge that information! Be rest assured, however, that his is a _spirit_ that is a worthy one!"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Er, thank you, Gai… Sensei," Naruto replied. Tenten frowned and looked at Naruto quizzically.

Gai cleared his throat, and Naruto blinked.

"Oh! Er, I have to get going. I'm meeting my team at seven and-"

"No need, Naruto! Alas, my eternal rival Kakashi is never on time! So, feel free to take this time to appreciate your all too fleeting fires of youth!" Gai grinned and gave Naruto a thumbs up once more.

"Um, thanks Gai-sensei, but I want to get some training done while I'm waiting."

Gai grinned and nodded.

"I understand, Naruto! Very well! I will see you later then!"

"Uh, wait Gai-sensei!" Lee spoke. Gai turned and raised a single bushy brow.

"Gai-sensei, I have heard a rumor regarding Naruto, and I was wondering if I could inquire about it," the green-clad boy spoke.

Gai nodded, and smiled.

"If it's all right with you, Naruto?"

"Er, sure?" Naruto said nervously.

"Naruto, I have heard a rumor that you wield a most unique weapon! May I see it if such rumors are true?" Lee asked.

Naruto scratched his head while Tenten raised an eyebrow at Lee.

"Lee, exactly _where_ did you hear these rumors anyway?"

"I heard it only as a rumor," Lee replied, to which Naruto and Tenten sweatdropped.

Gai shook his head, adopting a dramatic pose.

"Lee, one should not believe rumors! They are stirred up by un-youthful people with no fire of youth to stoke!"

Lee struck his own dramatic pose.

"But Gai-sensei, I only wish to confirm it-"

"Er, it's okay," Naruto said, holding up his hand. "I'm all right with showing it." The decision was pretty easy for Naruto.

One, eventually everyone would find out that he wielded the Keyblade. And two, the melodramatics were creeping him out a little.

So, without ceremony, Naruto held out his hand and focused.

_Keyblade…_

A flash of white light, and the weapon appeared in his grip, shining in the early-morning sun. Tenten gawked, Lee's eyebrows leapt up, and Gai-sensei nodded. He was aware of Naruto's burdens, as were all the jounin. And it appeared that this was one Naruto had no problem divulging.

"What is it?" Asked Lee, fascinated.

Naruto opened his mouth to speak-

"A Keyblade… I thought it was just a legend," Tenten spoke quietly, gazing in awe at the weapon in the blonde's hand. Naruto blinked a bit at her and smiled sheepishly.

"Uh, it's not the _real_ Keyblade, heh, just a family heirloom. Really." Naruto's face turned a bit solemn.

"It's all they left me…"

Tenten frowned sympathetically. Lee and Gai, however…

"YOSH! NARUTO, THIS KEYBLADE MAY NOT BE OF LEGEND, BUT IT IS EVIDENT IT IS AN EXPRESSION OF THE GREATNESS OF YOUR FAMILY! NO DOUBT THEIR FIRES OF YOUTH BURNED BRIGHT!" Gai bellowed, making Naruto jump back in shock.

The green-clad jounin was sobbing a river of tears.

"YOSH! NARUTO, YOUR WEAPON IS THE EPITOME OF THE EXPRESSION OF YOUTHFULNESS! BEATEN ONLY BY GAI-SENSEI! Surely your family shared the same values!" Lee added, also crying rivers and reaching for the heavens dramatically.

Naruto blinked.

"Uh… Yeah… Sure…"

Tenten shook her head in fond exasperation.

"Relax, there's no way you're related. Look at the eyebrows…" She whispered with a small chuckle.

"That's… Not what I was afraid of," Naruto laughed in response. He leaned the Keyblade back against his shoulder and smiled brightly at them all.

"Well, see you guys later! Gai-sensei, Lee, Tenten!"

With that, Naruto leapt away, deciding to just take a shortcut to the bridge. Tenten watched him leave. Gai blinked and waved his hand in front of her face.

"Oh, uh, er-!"

"It is all right, Tenten! No doubt Naruto's shining youth rendered you dazed!" Gai announced grandly.

Tenten blushed.

"W-W-WHAT?"

"YOSH! Indeed, now I know Naruto is worthy as my eternal rival! His youth captures the hearts of ALL!" Lee yelled.

Tenten groaned.

"No, he didn't!"

"We must celebrate our teammate's burning youth!"

"Indeed, Gai-sensei!"

"No, no, no, I mean-Oh God, not the hug!"

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"LEE!"

Tenten sighed. _This has long day written all over it…_

For some reason though, when she thought of Naruto, it didn't seem as bad…

**Nanashi: I added a scene that is completely new to this. In fact that is what I have been doing, adding and editing things to fit the future of this story. Hope you can figure it out and if you have never read the original than just sit back and enjoy.**_  
><em>

_Preview for Chapter Five:_

_"Dobe… Fight me."_

_"Eh? Why?"_

_"Yeah, why Sasuke-kun? You'll just slaughter him and-!"_

_"Loser takes Sakura on a date."_

_"WHAT?"_


	5. Energy Energized

_**llVoice of Destiny/Inner Sakura**_

"Normal Talking"

_Thoughts/Sound Effects_

_"Flashback dialogue/Japanese/Emphasis of words"_

**"Demon speak"**

_A fanfiction originally by Andrew J. Talon and redone & continued by NanashiX_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Kingdom Hearts, Disney, or any other copyrighted material. The story idea, concept, and original are owned by Andrew Joshua Talon. The continuation is mine and I do this out of pure enjoyment and my love of the story._

_**This is a triple post chapter update from chapter 5 to 7. I have been so busy with finals and everything that I haven't had time to get anything but school work done and job work done. Eh its life. Happy Holidays everyone and Merry Christmas.**_

Key Through the Heart: Rebirth

* * *

><p>Uchiha Sasuke was not at the top of his class for nothing. While much praise and applause had been directed his way out of pity and the prestige of his name, he'd made sure to earn every bit of it. He took being a ninja seriously in all respects. He had to, to fulfill his mission.<p>

Every lesson he'd studied ruthlessly, every jutsu and training exercise he'd put in the effort to master. He trained _every_ day, no exceptions. And he had little patience for those who got into this job for glamour or romance (such as the babbling, pink-haired _fangirl_ at his arm right now).

But, as Sasuke looked out at the small stream underneath the bridge he was standing on, Sakura chattering happily nearby, he was faced with a conundrum he couldn't resolve.

Uzumaki Naruto. The dead last in their class. He was the clown, the goof off, the loud-mouthed moron who could barely make it to class on time. He was one of the aforementioned people Sasuke thought didn't take the way of the ninja seriously. True, Sasuke felt something close to camaraderie with the blond, since they both seemed to have been alone for the majority of their lives. But still, Naruto had failed to graduate _three times,_ despite entering the academy three years _early._

Sasuke had seen Naruto as someone who wasted opportunities, who _didn't_ work for what he'd been given. _Especially_ now, with that bizarre weapon of his.

"I hope you like this brand of conditioner I'm using, I think it's _much_ more pleasant than the last don't you think…?"

What _was_ that thing? Sasuke wondered. It looked every bit as comical and ridiculous as Naruto himself, and yet the dead last clearly knew how to use it. This was certain, given his performance against Kakashi and the training session Sasuke had observed yesterday. What was more, how did Naruto learn a _jounin_ level technique anyway? It seemed likely that the key-like weapon, the Kage Bunshin, and Naruto's newfound skill (that, Sasuke grudgingly noted, was easily a match for his own in many circumstances) were all connected. How, he was unsure.

But Sasuke was going to find out. Because if that weapon got Naruto up close to _his_ level, what could it do for him?

"Oi, morning Sakura-chan!" The blond in question announced happily, landing on the bridge with a grin.

"Morning, bastard!"

"Loser," Sasuke returned flatly as Naruto smirked.

Sakura growled.

"Naruto you idiot! Don't call Sasuke-kun that!"

"What else would I call him?" Naruto teasingly replied.

Now _that_ was unexpected, Sasuke noted. Sakura blinked rapidly but her scowl came back.

"IDIOT! I'm going to-!"

"Loser," Sasuke interrupted, speaking a bit more loudly than his usual monotone. Sakura and Naruto paused, both turning their attention to him.

"Er, yeah bastard?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"Fight me."

"Eh? Why?" Naruto asked, frowning.

Sakura laughed a bit.

"Yeah, why Sasuke-kun? You'll just slaughter him and-!"

"Loser takes Sakura on a date."

"WHAT?" Replied both in shock. Inwardly, Sasuke smirked. He was _brilliant…_

"Wait a minute here, bastard! Shouldn't it be _winner_ takes Sakura-chan on a date?" Naruto protested, but he was already assuming a fighting stance.

Sasuke smirked outwardly this time.

"Since you'll lose anyway, I suppose I should make sure you get something you want," he returned simply. Naruto growled and Sasuke congratulated himself on actually paying some attention to his useless teammates. He'd beat Naruto, and _hopefully_ this set up would make the idiot congenial enough to spill information about his changes. Directly asking was not Sasuke's style-It would look weak.

"How about the _winner_ gets to decide the prize?" Naruto retaliated.

"Again… You have no chance, loser. Now, are we going to fight or not?" Sasuke asked. Naruto narrowed his eyes and held out a hand. In a flash, his strange, Key-shaped weapon appeared. Naruto settled into that unusual fighting stance from before. Sasuke felt a little surprised at the raw determination seemingly burning in the blonde's eyes. Sakura backed off, watching a bit pensively.

"I get the feeling I'm going to be saying this a _lot_," Naruto began, "but don't underestimate me!" The blond lashed out with his weapon and Sasuke brought out a kunai to parry it. Sasuke found himself slightly surprised as Naruto continued his attack, forcing Sasuke to move back as the strikes grew stronger. Sasuke finally leapt off the bridge entirely and landed on the bank nearby, in a large grassy field. Naruto leapt after him, twirling the key around in flair before throwing it with deadly accuracy at Sasuke.

The Uchiha leapt away, mindful of Naruto's strategy with the weapon before, and wasn't disappointed when it teleported back into Naruto's hands. He parried the blonde's next strike with his kunai again, using the momentum passed to him from Naruto to power a roundhouse kick to his opponent's shoulder. Naruto twisted away from the blow, rolling on the ground and to his feet, his fingers in a cross over the hilt of his weapon.

"_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"_

Ten more Narutos appeared and they charged, striking at him in pairs. Sasuke leapt up and flipped backwards in midair, making four handseals.

"_Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"_

The fireball slammed into the mob of Narutos, easily blasting them out of existence and sending the real thing flying back, skidding along the ground on his feet and barely avoiding falling into the water. Sasuke landed easily and smirked at Naruto, who glared and made the same handseal again.

"_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"_

A dozen Narutos poofed into existence this time. All but two charged for Sasuke, while one grabbed the real Naruto and began to swing him around at high speed. Sasuke pulled out two kunai and threw them at high speed, two Naruto clones being hit and poofing out of existence as the rest avoided it and continued forward.

Sasuke kept moving out of range, sniping the clones, as the real Naruto was let loose, flying forward above the field. Naruto spun up his key again and threw it for Sasuke, just as the remaining clones threw theirs as well. Sasuke, mindful of Naruto's fight with Kakashi, quickly made handseals again.

"_Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!"_

Sasuke spat several precise, bird-shaped fire blasts, taking out several of the cloned keys. Just before he shot the last one, however-

"_Kai!"_

This key-like weapon burst into smoke and became Naruto. The real weapon flashed into his hands as the last firebird left Sasuke's mouth. Naruto swung through the fire bird, blasting through it as he landed and charged a surprised Sasuke.

_CLANG!_

_Dammit!_ Sasuke and Naruto thought, kunai pushing back against key-weapon. Naruto was frustrated his gambit hadn't worked, and Sasuke was mentally cursing because he'd _never_ seen Naruto use this tactic in his training. _Did he come up with it while we were fighting, or before?_

Sasuke recovered quickly and struck, driving Naruto back, who deflected and parried every blow the Uchiha lashed out with. Naruto fell back slightly to one strike and twirled around, swinging his key-weapon for Sasuke's side.

The Uchiha brought out a second kunai and knocked the weapon away, thrusting with the other for Naruto's arm. The blond bent his knees and dropped, swinging the key-weapon for Sasuke's legs. Sasuke jumped back, and both genin glared at each other. Naruto was breathing a bit harder than usual, but Sasuke was nearly wheezing despite his efforts to focus and control his respiration.

_Damn… Only enough chakra for one more__Goukakyuu…_ Sasuke snarled as Naruto mad the cross seal again, and a dozen kage bunshin appeared once more. _Loser! How dare you become stronger than me!_

"Moron! How the hell are you getting so strong?"

Naruto smirked, Sasuke's rage increasing.

"What's the matter, bastard? Afraid of taking Sakura-chan out on a date? I guess you really _are_ gay!"

That did it. Sasuke forced just enough chakra into his legs to leap high above Naruto and his clones. He made the proper handseals and focused his rage along with his chakra into the first fire jutsu he'd ever mastered.

"_KATON! GOUKAKYUU NO JUTSU!"_ Sasuke roared, producing an even _bigger_ fireball that raced down for Naruto. Naruto spun his key again, the weapon beginning to glow a fierce blue, before he threw it up as hard as he could. The two projectiles, fireball and key-like weapon, met in a terrific explosion that blinded Sakura, who was watching from the sidelines.

_KABOOM!_

"Kyah!" She cried, covering her eyes with a grimace. She blinked rapidly, slowly forcing the spots from her eyes as she ran anxiously over to ground zero. Several trees had caught fire, while the surrounding field now had a pretty large crater in it. Sakura looked about anxiously.

"SASUKE-KUN! SASUKE-KUNNN!" She cried out… Just as a familiar blond head popped out of the ground nearby with a scowl.

"Hey! What about me? _I'm_ the one he tried to fry!" Naruto shouted in irritation. Sakura gawped at this, her green eyes darting between the crater and Naruto quickly.

"Dammit Sakura, don't yell so loudly," an irritated (and familiar) voice grumped. Sakura turned and saw a dirty (but alive) Sasuke trudging up. Ignoring Naruto as he struggled to dig himself out, Sakura rushed and glomped Sasuke.

"Sasuke-kun! I thought-I mean, I didn't think you could-! But Naruto-!"

"Oi, bastard! The hell was that for?" Naruto demanded, finally fully out of the ground. He brushed himself off, scowling at Sasuke.

The Uchiha scowled back.

"Idiot… Quit complaining you were too weak to fight me!"

"I'm not the one barely able to _stand_, you bastard!" Naruto retorted, his weapon flashing back into his hand.

Sasuke shoved the concerned Sakura aside and stalked for Naruto.

"I'll show _you_ barely able to stand, you-!"

"Ahem."

All three genin turned to see Kakashi standing at the edge of the crater. His one visible eye was closed in that unusual smile of his.

"Since you seem to have so much energy in _fighting_ each other, why don't we find out just how much you can put into today's missions?"

"Missions? What kind of missions?" Naruto asked with a frown.

Kakashi's eye smile seemed to grow. A sinking feeling appeared in Team Seven's stomachs.

Kakashi sat on the upper branches of a tree overlooking a backyard, contentedly reading his _Icha Icha Paradise Volume 5._ Below, a large assortment of kids were all gathered. A banner with the words "_Happy Birthday Asuka"_ was strung over the house, as the red-headed birthday girl herself and a number of her friends scowled at Sakura. The pink-haired girl smiled uneasily back as she held out some cards.

"Um, your card is… The jack of spades?"

"Wrong! You stink!" The birthday girl yelled, as the rest of the six-year olds booed.

Sakura grimaced, but her discomfort was _nothing_ next to Sasuke's.

"Mister Ninja, can I have a balloon animal?" Sasuke's eyebrow twitched violently. He stood as still as a statue, hair dyed red and face painted white as for a clown. His nose was covered in a red plastic squeaky ball. He was skulking near the fence of the yard, as a little boy stood before him, picking his nose.

"No," Sasuke stated.

The little boy pouted.

"What kind of clown are you anyway?"

Sasuke smirked, as a not-quite-sane glint appeared in his eyes.

"I can breathe fire," he said menacingly, causing the little boy to run off crying. A number of Naruto's clones were trying to entertain the other kids with kazoos and other noisemakers, but they weren't very happy with them.

"OW! You little brat! Why'd you kick me?"

"HEY! QUIT THAT!"

"When I get my hands on you-!"

The mother of little Asuka (who, Kakashi noted, had a _perfect_ figure-Part of the reason he'd taken this mission) walked underneath his tree and sighed.

"Are you sure they can't do anything better?"

Kakashi frowned and shrugged.

"Well, the blond one said he had to go get something…"

"I'M BACK!"

The original Naruto hopped over the fence, grinning from ear to ear. In one hand he carried a large, grey ball. He walked up to the sulking birthday girl.

"Hmph! And what's that for, huh?" Asuka snorted.

Naruto grinned.

"Watch this! HIYAH!"

Naruto threw the ball up into the air, before holding out his hand. The Keyblade flashed into existence in his grip, making the watching children gasp. With a grin and wink at Sakura, Naruto leapt up and whacked the ball even higher, back-flipping in mid-air and landing easily on one foot.

The ball fell towards Sasuke's head, and just before the emo-clown was about to whack it away in irritation, a Naruto clone (with its own Keyblade) hit the ball back up into the air with three consecutive strikes. Asuka began to cheer, as did the rest of the children, as Naruto and his clones kept up the show, hitting the ball into the air while performing stunning aerial acrobatics. Even the mother (who had given Naruto nothing but glares since he arrived) began to smile and applaud with every dramatic leap, combo, and twirl the blond put into his performance.

Kakashi couldn't help but smile a bit himself-Naruto always did want attention, but he'd had to contend with negative attention most of his life. Positive attention was definitely to the demon container's liking, as evidenced by the carefree nature of his laughter and the honesty of his smiles.

Sakura, for her part, tried to not smile (since her crush was scowling at the entire thing), but found herself failing to keep a straight face.

_Wow… Naruto's really impressive! I mean, today he fought Sasuke-kun so well… Wait, what am I saying?_

_**YEAH! Naruto's still a loud-mouthed idiot! No way he could have beaten Sasuke-kun! SHANNARO! **_Her inner self piped in, letting Sakura dispose of her smile…

"Hey Sakura-chan! Hey! Watch this!" Naruto shouted. One of his clones smacked the ball right to him, to which he whacked the ball to _another_ clone, from there to another, and finally it was smacked back to Naruto who had leapt high into the air. He whacked the ball straight down and it plummeted, making most of the kids gasp… Then cheer as another Naruto kage bunshin appeared right underneath the ball and whacked it back up just in time. Sakura found herself clapping happily.

_Well, so what? Just because he's funny doesn't mean I_like_him or anything._

_**Definitely! SHANNARO!**_

Sasuke had taken to brooding near the punch bowl, watching every feat Naruto performed with a scowl.

_How the hell did that idiot get that weapon? It's not fair-A loser like him doesn't_deserve_something so powerful!_

"What is that thing?" Asuka, the birthday girl, asked loudly, indicating Naruto's weapon. The original had taken a brief break as his clones continued to knock the ball around above.

The blond grinned.

"It's a Keyblade! It's, uh... A family heirloom!" The little kids crowded eagerly around Naruto, oohing and ahhing over the Keyblade, which Naruto was happy to let them examine and touch. The blond looked up briefly to see Sasuke scowling at him, to which Naruto just grinned.

_Family heirloom? Yeah right… I'll find out how you got that thing, dead last. And when I do…_

_Preview for Chapter Six:_

"_Naruto? What took you so long?"_

"_Um, nothing… I just… Saw something in the shadows…"_


	6. Changes Are Made

_**llVoice of Destiny/Inner Sakura**_

"Normal Talking"

_Thoughts/Sound Effects_

_"Flashback dialogue/Japanese/Emphasis of words"_

**"Demon speak"**

_A fanfiction originally by Andrew J. Talon and redone & continued by NanashiX_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Kingdom Hearts, Disney, or any other copyrighted material. The story idea, concept, and original are owned by Andrew Joshua Talon. The continuation is mine and I do this out of pure enjoyment and my love of the story._

Key Through the Heart: Rebirth

* * *

><p>Yamanaka Ino sighed as she scrubbed the counter of her family shop with a cloth, resting her chin on her hand. Another long, boring shift had taken its toll and the blonde could barely stay awake. The last customer had left <em>hours <em>ago-She honestly wasn't sure what her mother was thinking, keeping them open this late. The sun was nearly set.

The front door rang, and Ino sighed.

"Welcome to Yamanaka Florists, can I help you?" She asked dully.

"Hey Ino! I didn't know this was your shop!"

The blonde looked up and blinked at the grinning Naruto. She raised a single pale eye incredulously.

"Naruto? What are you doing here?"

The blond boy held up a sickly-looking potted plant and rubbed the back of his head anxiously with his free hand.

"Um, Mr. Chu here is kind of sick and I was hoping you could help me?"

Ino blinked awkwardly.

"Mr… Chu? Wait, since when do you garden?"

Naruto gave her a flat look.

"It's cheaper than a dog, right? Can you help me or not?"

Ino sighed in irritation, but said nothing else. Naruto mentally shrugged, and walked to the counter, setting Mr. Chu down carefully. Ino gave it a cursory look over and stuck a single finger into the soil. She made a face.

"Great, the soil's completely saturated. You're over watering the poor thing!"

Naruto scowled.

"I didn't mean to! It's just, in between training and missions, I'm afraid of under watering!"

Ino sighed.

"Well, try to water it a set amount every time, okay? Otherwise you'll drown it." Ino then smirked. "So, how is Sasuke-kun doing?"

Naruto frowned.

"Hmph. He's a bastard, what else is new?"

Ino whacked Naruto over the head.

"OW! Hey!"

Ino scowled.

"Don't talk badly about Sasuke-kun!"

Naruto growled in irritation.

"No worse than what he says about me!"

Ino snorted.

"I'm sure you deserve it!"

"For what?"

"For being so annoying, that's why!"

"I'm not annoying! I'm just telling the truth!"

"Since when have you told the truth?"

Naruto opened his mouth to yell back at the blonde… Before he sagged, sighing. Ino blinked in disbelief. _What the…?_

"Yeah, fine, whatever," Naruto muttered. The blond took back the pot and turned around. Ino gaped a bit, before biting her lower lip.

"Um, wait…"

Naruto paused, and turned around, blinking curiously. Ino sighed.

"Look, I'm sorry about that… I've just been kind of stressed lately…"

Naruto frowned, his eyes closed thoughtfully.

"From what? Your new team?"

Ino nodded, secretly surprised that Naruto got it right. _Just what is up with him lately?_

"Yeah… Asuma-sensei doesn't train me at all! He just plays game with Shikamaru or has Chouji practice his family techniques," Ino scowled. "Whenever I ask him for help, he says I should practice more with the other two, but _they_ barely train at all!"

"Kind of sounds like my sensei," Naruto commented. "All he's done this last month when we meet is have us do stupid missions. Delivering milk, painting fences… I have to train all by myself!"

The two blonde ninja sighed in unison.

"… So, Naruto, I kind of have to ask you something,"

Ino broke.

"Er, what?"

Naruto asked, blinking. Ino frowned.

"It's been all over the village lately that you've got some weird weapon… And that it helped you pass the exam?"

Naruto smiled slightly.

"Something like that… Where did you hear it from?"

Ino folded her hands in front of her.

"Forehead was blabbing about how Sasuke-kun started bringing a sword with him to team meetings because of your weapon."

Naruto nodded a bit, and held out his hand.

"You mean this?"

A flash later, and the Keyblade appeared in his hand. Ino jumped a bit at that, before her teal eyes took in the weapon.

"… What kind of a weapon is that?" Ino asked incredulously.

Naruto smirked a little.

"A Keyblade… It's a family heirloom. Pretty cool, huh?"

Ino blinked.

"It's a giant key," she deadpanned.

Naruto sweatdropped.

"Uh, well… Yeah…" Ino hopped over the counter and examined the Keyblade closely, poking it a bit with manicured fingers. Naruto fidgeted as Ino finally pulled back. She took in the whole weapon again, and shook her head with a smirk.

"Sadly enough, it actually fits you. Everything else is out of place on you after all," the blonde laughed. Naruto scowled.

"Hey! What do you mean by that?"

"Naruto, you wear _bright_ _orange._ And you have _yellow_ _hair_, and a tanned complexion. If that's not a crime against fashion, I don't know what is!" Ino giggled.

Naruto blushed a little, but still scowled at the chuckling kunoichi.

"I _like_ orange!"

"I can tell," Ino laughed, "but you have to admit, it's not the most flattering color on you. I mean, can you imagine me wearing orange?"

Naruto grinned.

"I think you'd look great in orange, actually," the blond ninja responded honestly, to which both he and Ino blushed a little. Ino shook her head and cleared her throat.

"Yeah, well… You should probably wear more black. You'd look better in it," the kunoichi countered. Naruto groaned.

"Aw, but black is so… So… So _emo!"_

Ino scowled.

"It is not emo! And besides, what kind of ninja wears bright orange and blue anyway?"

"What kind of ninja has purple fingernail paint?" Naruto shot back.

Ino blinked and looked at her violet nails. She then brushed her pale hair back over her shoulder and smirked.

"The most beautiful ones, of course!"

Naruto smirked.

"Well, can't argue with _that_!" Naruto teased.

Ino blushed and glared.

"W-What do you mean by that?"

"It's fun to make you blush. You're cute like that. I'll have to do it more," Naruto explained laughingly, as he headed out.

"See you later, Ino-chan!"

Ino scowled after the blond idiot, and sighed before shaking her head.

_Looks like Forehead may be on to something… Naruto's…_different._Not that it's a bad thing, all things considered…_

Ino smiled, almost fondly.

_It's nice to be noticed once in a while…_

As he headed for home, Naruto couldn't help but wonder what had possessed him to tease Ino. Sure, she was pretty cute, and had talked to him pretty kindly (compared to how she usually treated him), but still…

And how he'd acted when Ino had called him annoying… It was like the hurt and pain just bubbled out of him. Usually he had more control than that, but something had changed… Something was making him more open.

_Just what is it about you that changes things around here?_Naruto thought irritably, mentally regarding his Keyblade. _Ever since I got you… Things have been… Different…_

Sure, the majority of the villagers still glared and spat at him, and a fair number of ninja too… But the kids at the birthday party, the mom who Naruto recalled had often shooed her daughter Asuka away when he came walking by… They had enjoyed his performance.

Heck, _he'd_ enjoyed his performance! Getting attention for making people smile or laugh sure felt a lot better than making people scream or glare… Or in Iruka-sensei's case freak out.

Revenge on people who made his life hell _was_ fun, no doubt about it, but making people have fun… Naruto wasn't sure which he liked better.

The stars had begun to come out, and Naruto took a moment to look up at them, shifting Mr. Chu to his other arm. He winced, then regarded his red hands and sighed.

"Man, I _do_ need gloves," he thought aloud. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't develop calluses as he trained. He just rubbed his palms raw with his sword hilt and they healed back up-As soft as they were before. _Probably something to do with the fox,_ he decided.

Naruto paused his walking to find himself in front of a nin clothing store. Naruto frowned thoughtfully. It was a new one, definitely not like the others which had thrown him out when he took a single step in the door. Naruto then looked back at his hands. For some reason, Ino's opinion on his clothing stuck in his head…

_Hey wait! I know!_ Naruto grinned. _If Ino thinks I would look better in darker clothes… Then maybe Sakura would too!_ It wasn't as if he didn't have the money. D-Rank missions may have been boring, but they did provide extra funds. And what better way to put them to use than this?

Grinning at this stroke of brilliance, Naruto entered the store. He then blinked at the familiar-looking girl behind the counter.

"Eh? Tenten-chan?"

The bunned girl looked up and smiled.

"Naruto! Hey! What brings you around here?"

Naruto smiled.

"Um, I was in the neighborhood… This is your shop?"

Tenten shook her head.

"No, it's my parent's. We recently moved our old shop to this location."

Naruto's face fell, at Tenten's words, and the sign at the back of the shop. _Tsume Shinobi Supply_. _Oh man… Knew it was too good to be true…_

"Hey, are you okay? What's wrong?" Tenten asked.

Naruto frowned.

"Um, are you parents in?"

Tenten blinked, confused.

"No?"

"When will they be back?" Naruto pressed.

Tenten blinked again, but indulged the blond.

"Not for an hour at least… They went to the old shop for some last minute arrangements-"

Naruto moved forward, almost nose to nose with Tenten. The bunned girl's eyes widened at the almost maniacal look in Naruto's eyes.

"Okay, Tenten-chan? I need new clothes. Black please."

"Er, sure," Tenten replied, blushing a bit at their proximity. She moved away and hopped over the counter, leading the blond to their selection of jackets. A particular one caught Naruto's eye, and he eagerly pulled the short-sleeved, black and orange jacket off the rack. Quickly he tried it on, as Tenten gave him a bemused look.

"How do I look?" Naruto asked.

Tenten giggled.

"It suits you, I think," the brunette responded with a smile. Naruto smiled back, enjoying how the jacket fit him.

"Hey, if you want you can also get new shoes," Tenten went on, bending over a stack of shoeboxes. Naruto blushed a bit as his eyes traced her backside, but quickly averted his gaze.

_Argh… Don't be a pervert! But it's so shapely! Wait! Argh!_ He scolded himself, as the girl came back with a box in particular.

"These are becoming pretty popular," Tenten said with a smile, opening the box and showing off what appeared to be normal ninja sandals… Only the openings were covered in white fabric. Naruto tapped the toe of one of the sandals, and was surprised to feel metal underneath. Tenten grinned.

"Some new company is making these new ninja sandals with leather-coverings over steel plates for a _very_ low price. The Hokage is apparently buying up whole wagon loads for the ANBU."

Naruto grinned, and nodded.

"All right, how much?"

A few recommendations from Tenten, some more clothing, and purchasing the whole thing later, Naruto exited the shop with his new clothes in a bag, and Mr. Chu in his free hand. He headed for his home, looking forward to the next day.

The morning sun had just begun to rise… But Sasuke was wide awake and alert.

Standing in the training field Team 7 met near, Sasuke took a deep breath, centering himself. He raised the sword in his hands straight up, knees bent, body balanced, eyes closed. The Uchiha swung down quickly, moving forward with the strike, before pulling back fluidly and repeating the move.

He began to expand the forms, swinging the straight, steel, double-edged blade around in his hand as though to deflect a kunai. Falling into a crouch and jabbing into an imaginary opponent's legs. Leaping and back-flipping to bring a swift axe blow onto his target.

The _Houou Kishou,_ or Rising Phoenix, style of taijutsu, was created by the Uchiha Clan. As such, it relied heavily on pushing or luring an opponent into a trap or killing blow, as the Sharingan granted an enormous defensive advantage. Since Sasuke lacked the Sharingan (at the moment, he told himself), he'd adjusted the style to compensate, confident that when his bloodline finally became active he'd master it entirely.

However, his fight with Naruto had revealed a key flaw in Sasuke's approach: Without the Sharingan, Sasuke could not anticipate Naruto's random, almost inefficient but effective fighting style. The constant changes, the chaotic but directed nature of his movements-Naruto was practically the perfect counter to Rising Phoenix.

Which meant that, with some _considerable_ refinement, it could be adapted for use against Sharingan users.

Sasuke began adjusting his movements, trying to incorporate Naruto's fast, chaotic movements with Rising Phoenix's graceful, fluid foot and air work. Spinning his sword around, Sasuke grimaced-It felt so _unnatural…_

Landing easily from a mid-air combo, Sasuke wiped his brow. He scowled a bit as he picked up a familiar, weak chakra signature moving towards him.

"Good morning, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura waved cheerfully at him.

The Uchiha ignored the gesture, going to his canteen and taking a refreshing drink of water. Sakura smiled happily at him, her hands held behind her back.

"I was watching you," she began, to which Sasuke grunted. Sakura took this as progress and continued.

"What kind of sword is that, Sasuke-kun? I don't think I've seen one before…"

"It's a _chokuto,"_ he said simply, walking back to the bridge. He slid the blade into its sheath strapped across his back, then leaned against the railing of the bridge, arms crossed and head down.

"Oh, really? I haven't seen one of those outside of the textbooks! It's very nice," Sakura complimented. Sasuke snorted slightly, before turning his eyes up to see Naruto groggily walking up. The blond immediately brightened at seeing Sakura.

"Good morning, Sakura-chan! And you too, bastard," Naruto grinned. Sasuke snorted, but did make eye contact with the blond.

"Dead last," Sasuke returned, to which Naruto smirked as usual. The Uchiha blinked and raised an eyebrow. Something seemed off…

"Naruto! Don't call Sasuke-kun that or I'll-! Uh… Naruto?"

Naruto grinned, leaning back against the railing on the opposite side of the bridge.

"Yeah, Sakura-chan?"

The pink-haired girl blinked.

"What's… With the new clothes?"

Naruto looked down at his black and orange jacket, white T-shirt, black and orange pants, and new sandals. He still had his new, blue weapon's pouch tied to his thigh. Naruto shrugged.

"You know, I wanted to try something new," Naruto replied. "How does it look?"

"It's… Uh…" Sakura began, blinking.

Sasuke snorted.

"At least you're finally wearing some darker clothes, dead last. Now you're only screaming 'kill me' _quietly,"_ the Uchiha snorted. Naruto glowered back.

"Oh yeah, your baby blue shirt and white pants are _way_ less noticeable, bastard!"

The two scowled at each other. Naruto stuck his tongue out. Sasuke resisted the urge to make a similar face back, before someone clearing their throat was heard.

"Well, I see the routine's remained the same," Kakashi observed from a tree near the bridge.

"YOU'RE LATE!" Sakura yelled, as Naruto and Sasuke switched their glares to the silver-haired jounin.

Kakashi landed on the ground and rubbed the back of his head, single visible eye closed.

"Well, I happened to spot a bunch of mice riding around on a rollerskate-"

"LIAR!" Sakura bellowed.

Kakashi sighed.

"Fine, fine… All right. The Hokage has given us two missions early. One is to locate the Daimyo's wife's cat… Again."

The genins groaned.

"The other is to deliver mail along a block for a woman who broke her foot recently," Kakashi went on. He smirked under his mask.

"Being the kind, understanding sensei I am, I've decided to let you guys do both. Whoever wants the mail mission-?"

Kakashi smirked as Naruto leapt forward.

"Me! Me! I call it! Dibs! Mine!"

Kakashi sighed, and handed Naruto the mission details.

"Of course, there was a third option… Special training with me," Kakashi added.

Naruto's face fell, as Sasuke smirked.

"I call the training," Sasuke said. Kakashi nodded, and handed the envelope with the mission details for the Daimyo's cat to a depressed-looking Sakura. Naruto glared at Kakashi, before turning and grumbling, looking over the information in the envelope.

The blond paused, and looked to his left, a frown on his whiskered face. Kakashi blinked.

"Naruto? What are you looking at?"

"Um, nothing… I just… Saw something in the shadows…" Naruto explained, almost nervously. The blond headed off soon after.

Sakura left as well, casting a longing look back at Sasuke before heading away. Sasuke smirked and looked at Kakashi. The jounin was still smiling.

"So… Training?" Sasuke stated flatly.

Kakashi reached into his pouch. Sasuke drew his sword in an instant, and had it leveled at his teacher… Only to facefault as a familiar orange book appeared in Kakashi's hand.

"Tell me Sasuke, what do you know about sex?" Kakashi asked. "It seems to me that you'll need to know how to do it if you're going to revive your clan…"

Sasuke managed to suppress a groan out of sheer willpower, as his 'lesson' began.

_Itachi, you may yet have some competition on the 'People I Need to Kill' list…_

Kakashi paused for only a moment, looking over his shoulder at the place Naruto was staring at before. He could have sworn he heard something move… The jounin shrugged mentally. He couldn't pick up any chakra signatures…

"Sasuke, trying to escape will not work," Kakashi said.

Sasuke growled, and turned back, sitting on the ground with a glare at his sensei. The jounin resumed his lesson… But could not shake the feeling of something being very wrong…

* * *

><p><em><strong>I fixed all grammar mistakes and spelling issues. As I said in the beginning this is a triple post since I've been gone for so long. <strong>_

_Preview for Chapter Seven:_

_They were all around him, twitching, jerking, hungry yellow eyes glowing in the shade…_


	7. Sun with Shadows

_**llVoice of Destiny/Inner Sakura**_

"Normal Talking"

_Thoughts/Sound Effects_

_"Flashback dialogue/Japanese/Emphasis of words"_

**"Demon speak"**

_A fanfiction originally by Andrew J. Talon and redone & continued by NanashiX_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Kingdom Hearts, Disney, or any other copyrighted material. The story idea, concept, and original are owned by Andrew Joshua Talon. The continuation is mine and I do this out of pure enjoyment and my love of the story._

_**So here's the last chapter in the three part post I promised. I thought it would be a nice gift to all those people who read this story and have been waiting. So please read, review, and enjoy and have a safe Holiday!**_

Key Through the Heart: Rebirth

"Again, thanks a lot for your help Kurenai-san. Ever since I broke my foot I've been behind on my work," the tall, dark skinned man said gratefully, leaning on a crutch outside his small home. Kurenai smiled back, as her genin stood behind her holding several boxes.

"It's not a problem, Makihara. How long until you're back on the job?" The man grimaced.

"A week at least. Guess I should be more careful while training…"

Kiba groaned under the weight.

"The hell is in these things anyway?" Makihara shrugged.

"Some kind o' wheels for these new kinds of wagon up north. Supposed to run on their own," the dark-skinned ninja continued, ending the sentence with an incredulous snort.

Hinata fidgeted a little under the weight of her box.

"Ano… M-Makihara-san… If you're a ninja, w-why are you taking on other j-jobs?"

The man smiled as a petite, pale, black haired girl stood in the doorway next to him. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders as she blushed, a hand over her protruding belly.

"Until I get a promotion, I need as much income as I can get with Chiaki-chan here expecting." His wife smiled.

"Thank you ever so much!" Kurenai nodded and turned to head down the street. Her genins obediently followed, Akamaru trotting along his master. Kiba groaned again.

"Great… Are we even getting paid for this mission?"

Shino raised an eyebrow, displaying no difficulty with his boxes.

"We were appointed this mission per the standard procedure. I imagine we will be paid."

"Yeah," Kiba began, "but you heard him. He needs all the income he can get!" Kurenai smiled.

"Well, as this is a low-rated D-Rank mission, the money made by getting his orders in more than covers what he'll pay us. Besides, as he is a friend, I've decided to decline my own pay from this mission."

Hinata stumbled a bit, her teammates turning back as one.

"Hinata, you okay?" Kiba asked. Hinata nodded and smiled weakly.

"I'm f-fine… Don't w-worry about me," the pale-eyed girl responded.

Kiba furrowed his brow, but resumed walking with everyone else, passing through the streets of one of Konoha's middle class districts. Merchants noisily advertised their wares, as civilians and shinobi milled about. Street performers danced and entertained for coins, while a few old men sat in the shade, playing shogi…

"GANG WAY!"

And a familiar orange-clad blond barreled right into Hinata, sending both genin to the ground in a heap.

"Ow, my head… Huh? Hinata-chan! I'm sorry! You okay?"

Hinata gazed up into the wide, concerned eyes of her crush, and felt her face burn in a blush. She began to have trouble breathing as she became aware of their (somewhat scandalous) position.

_Naruto-kun is on top of me… Naruto-kun is on top of me… Narutokunisontopofme-!_

"HEY! GET THE HELL OFF HER, DEAD LAST!"

Naruto was roughly yanked away from Hinata. Inside, the girl felt both relief and anger at this turn of events. She soundlessly accepted Shino's hand up as Kiba and Naruto began to argue.

"Watch where you're going next time, moron!"

Naruto growled back at the dog-like nin, as Akamaru barked angrily at the blond alongside Kiba.

"Don't call me a moron, dog-breath!"

"It-it's okay, K-Kiba, I'm f-fine," Hinata said quietly. Kiba would have continued his yelling, if not for his sensei clearing her throat loudly.

"Hinata is fine, Kiba. No harm done." The red-eyed jounin turned to the glowering Naruto.

"And you, Naruto, should be far more careful." The blond sighed.

"Right, sorry, um… Kurenai-sensei. But I've got to deliver these letters and fast." Naruto indicated the pack he was carrying. Kurenai nodded.

"Well then, off with you." Naruto nodded and smiled at Hinata.

"Sorry about that again. See you later, Hinata-chan!"

With that, Naruto headed off, ignoring the glares and glowers being sent his way by the people on the street. Hinata blushed and twiddled her fingers a bit.

"All right! Let's get going again," Kurenai interjected. Hinata started and nodded, picking up her box and resuming her trek. Kiba walked alongside her, looking concerned.

"Hey, sure you're okay Hinata-chan?"

Hinata nodded and smiled. It was noticeably brighter than her previous ones.

"I-I'm f-f-fine! Really!"

Shino raised a single eyebrow at this. Kiba noticed and shrugged, his expression one of exasperation. Kurenai smiled slightly as they continued their trek.

_She was just bowled over by Naruto, and she's happier for it… This could prove interesting…_ Kurenai smirked evilly.

_Not to mention that it would make her bastard father blow a gasket…_

* * *

><p>Naruto sighed and looked at the last letter in his pack. The woman who had requested the mission had needed extra help delivering mail across town. The blond had been a bit surprised at her kind manner towards him. It turned out she'd only recently moved to Konoha, and so didn't know about him.<p>

_Yet,_ he thought, a bit glumly. This wouldn't be the first time he'd met someone new to the area, got along with fine, and then found those people turned against him by the other villagers.

Naruto looked up at the wooded path leading up a ridge. It was in one of the more forested areas of Konoha, and near one of the larger training fields. Naruto checked the address on the letter.

"Why does she want to mail out all these contest offers anyway? She's not rich," the blond ninja mused as he hiked the path up slowly. He came to an open space in the wood, the forest canopy stretching out over the area and casting the place into dappled shadows.

Naruto grimaced, suddenly feeling a mild chill in the air. He felt a mental nudge, usually only felt when the Keyblade was out…

And then he saw movement. A patch of shadow moved between the spots of sunlight. Another and another and another… Familiar monsters rising from darkness.

"Crap," Naruto muttered, stuffing the last letter back into his pack before summoning the Keyblade. He took a good, three-hundred and sixty degree angle survey of the area.

They were all around him, twitching, jerking, hungry yellow eyes glowing in the shade The _silence_ was as unnerving as their appearance, because they reminded Naruto of fire ants. Fire ants that had once been set into his apartment by a disgruntled villager. Even now he could remember the hordes of insects scurrying, crawling, seeking him out…

But that was then, and this…

"_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"_ A dozen Narutos appeared among the dark creatures and as one, slashed through the little beasts. Several hopped high above the strikes, only to be caught as Naruto as his clones leapt into the air, striking them down. Naruto was glad to see that his copy's Keyblades worked just as well as the original against these things.

Naruto landed from his jump, spinning around and taking three of the creatures out at once. He cursed as one of his clones went down to some of the monsters, poofing out of existence. The dark creatures sat still for a moment, as though confused, which allowed two other clones to cut them down.

Naruto tumbled backwards to avoid another creature's pounce, and thrust his Keyblade through it. The thing dissolved into dust, but even so more creatures began to appear. Naruto glowered and created a dozen more clones.

It soon devolved into a hack and slash routine. Over and over, Naruto's clones easily dispatched the monsters, and yet more and more kept appearing. After fifteen minutes, Naruto was about to make a clone to go find help, as he wasn't sure he could keep these things contained for much longer… When they all vanished.

"Huh?" Naruto panted, looking around. His remaining clones did the same.

"Yo, Naruto."

"GAH!" Naruto shouted, turning and throwing his Keyblade as hard as he could at the voice. Though chakra boosted, the speaker had little difficulty avoiding it. Naruto gaped as he stared at Kakashi. The copy nin stared back, his single eye showing an almost bemused expression.

"Sakura's found the cat, and Sasuke is… Done with his special training. Are you finished?" Naruto took a deep breath.

"Um, almost… I just…"

_I was attacked by numerous dark creatures that wanted to eat my soul? Yeah, that'll go over well…_

"Looks like you were fighting a rather fierce battle," Kakashi observed dryly. Naruto smiled nervously, rubbing the back of his head.

"Um… Well, I decided to, um… Get some extra training in! You know… Um… Because to be honest, these missions really suck." Kakashi raised his single visible brow, and shrugged.

"Well, since we have to go to the mission office anyway, I'm sure we can find something more exciting right?" Naruto nodded.

"That sounds great, Kakashi-sensei… Anything's gotta be better than _this!_"

Kakashi chuckled a bit as Naruto shoved the last piece of junk mail into the mail box, and they headed back for the village proper.

Emerging from a burst of dark fire, a tall woman watched them go. Dressed in black, spiky robes, with a horned headpiece and green tinged skin, she exuded a menacing air that dominated the atmosphere. Tapping her tall, green-orb tipped staff on the ground next to her, she waited. A black crow appeared, cawing before landing on the orb.

"Much sooner than we anticipated, my dear," she spoke quietly, regally, with an ethereal tone. The crow cawed in acknowledgement, as the woman frowned.

"We will have to accelerate our plans… Watch him," she ordered. The crow bowed, before taking off for the village. The woman lingered a moment longer, before vanishing in a plume of dark fire in much the same way she had appeared.

Down the ridge, Kakashi paused and turned back, looking over his shoulder. Under his mask, he frowned. Naruto blinked and turned back curiously.

"Kakashi-sensei? Something wrong?"

The silver-haired jounin turned back, and shook his head.

"Nothing, Naruto." Kakashi's single visible eye narrowed as he traced the flight of a black bird in the clear blue skies above.

"Nothing at all…"

* * *

><p><em><strong>So that's the end of the three part post. As I said before I do change things around to help mold the story so that it can continue. If you have any ideas or comments feel free to review. And to Lord-of-Walruses, well ask and ye shall receive ne? Have a good holidays everyone! <strong>_

_Preview for Chapter Eight:_

"_Feh… This is my escort? They don't look like much… Especially the stupid-looking midget with the giant toy._


	8. Return to Wave Mission Pt1

_**llIVoice of Destiny/Inner Sakura**_

"Normal Talking"

_Thoughts/Sound Effects_

"_Flashback dialogue/Japanese/Emphasis of words"_

"**Demon speak"**

_A fanfiction originally by Andrew J. Talon and redone & continued by NanashiX_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Kingdom Hearts, Disney, or any other copyrighted material. The story idea, concept, and original are owned by Andrew Joshua Talon. The continuation is mine and I do this out of pure enjoyment and my love of the story. Note that I edit and add any elements that will benefit my continuation. If you the reader who has read the original feel that you wanted something different, now is the opportune time to tell me via Review or PM. Thank you for reading._

**AN: As promised the 3 part post of the Wave Arc is here. Please enjoy this great piece of work by Andrew J. Talon that I have edited and added to.**

Key Through the Heart: Rebirth

llIVoice of Destiny/Inner Sakura

"Normal Talking"

Thoughts/Sound Effects

"Flashback dialogue/Japanese/Emphasis of words"

"Demon speak"

A fanfiction originally by Andrew J. Talon and redone & continued by NanashiX

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Kingdom Hearts, Disney, or any other copyrighted material. The story idea, concept, and original are owned by Andrew Joshua Talon. The continuation is mine and I do this out of pure enjoyment and my love of the story.

Key Through the Heart: Rebirth

"Oh, thank you so much for rescuing my cat!" The Daimyo's wife gushed, rubbing her chubby cheeks against her screeching cat's. Naruto looked over his other teammates.

Sasuke had a surly scowl on his face, and his eye would twitch at regular intervals. Sakura's long pink hair was mussed, her forearms were covered in scratches, and she could not stop deathglaring the cat as though trying to set it on fire with her mind.

_That would be a cool jutsu,_ Naruto absently thought, as the Daimyo's wife placed her payment with the Hokage sitting at the missions table. Numerous aides worked the desk, filing paperwork. Iruka sat next to the Hokage, and gave the blond a smile as he caught his eye. Naruto managed a smile back, as the Hokage looked up from whatever paper he was scrutinizing.

"Well, well, not bad Team Seven. Two missions a week so far. Care to try for three?"

The Hokage rummaged through a stack of papers and pulled out one sheet.

"Ah, this looks good. Little Mihama Chiyo is having her birthday party-"

Sasuke paled even more than usual at this.

"No," the Uchiha stated quickly. Naruto failed to stifle a snicker as Sasuke glared at the Hokage, then him, then the room in general. Sakura nodded tiredly with her crush.

"Very well," the Hokage said with a small smile, "the Nabeshin's dog got away and-"

"No! No thank you! _Uh uh_! HECK NO!" Naruto exploded, the horror of the last time they went to retrieve a pet coming back to him. Sasuke and Sakura nodded furiously as Kakashi eye-smiled.

"Look, Old Man, can't you give us something better? We've been training our butts off for over a month¸ and we're sick of the D-Rank Missions! _C'mon_!"

_I have to agree. These missions are a waste of my time,_ Sasuke thought.

_He has a point, but does he have to yell it so loudly?_ Sakura mentally sighed.

"Naruto! Don't be disrespectful to the Hokage!" Iruka bellowed, standing up and shaking his fist.

"But these missions suck! C'mon, we can handle a better one! Right, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto looked to his instructor hopefully.

The Hokage frowned and looked questioningly at Kakashi, who shrugged.

"Well, they have improved… Somewhat," Kakashi responded, giving Sakura a significant glance. The pink haired girl winced, as the Hokage looked thoughtful.

"Hmm… Well, there is a C-Rank mission available… An escort mission, to Wave Country-" Naruto whooped.

"OH YEAH! We'll take it, Old Man Hokage!" The blond ran forward and grabbed the mission info packet from the Hokage, while Iruka sighed at his favorite student's lack of manners.

"So, who are we escorting," Naruto eagerly asked. "A princess? A famous actress?"

The blond summoned the Keyblade and began to swing it about excitedly, as the Hokage merely smirked.

"Him," Hokage pointed to the door. Naruto turned with a grin… Which immediately devolved into a face fault at the dirty-looking old man standing in the entrance.

""Feh… This is my escort? They don't look like much… Especially the stupid-looking midget with the giant toy."

"IT'S A KEYBLADE YOU BASTARD!" Naruto bellowed. Kakashi sighed and grabbed onto the hood of Naruto's jacket, keeping the cursing blond from running their client through.

"Er, hello," Sakura said politely, as Sasuke just glared. The old man burped, and took another swig of alcohol.

"This is Tazuna, a bridge builder-" The Hokage began, but Tazuna interrupted.

"_Master_ bridge builder," he corrected. The Hokage looked as though he were resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

"_Master_ bridge builder, who is on his way home to Wave Country. Escort him there and make sure he arrives safe and sound."

"Sure I can't get a few Chuunin? I mean, what good are these punks gonna be?" Tazuna complained. Naruto growled, and Kakashi moved to restrain him again.

"That's rich, coming from an old drunk!" The blond taunted.

"Why you little brat! If you were a few years younger I'd throw you across my knee and tan your hide!" Tazuna replied angrily. Naruto smirked back.

"Sorry, I'm not into men, you old pervert!"

Kakashi sighed as Naruto and Tazuna continued to bicker, Sakura watched while obviously trying not to laugh, and Sasuke just scowled.

"Right then," Kakashi spoke, bringing the argument to a halt. "Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura-Go home and pack for a long-duration mission. Meet me by the main gates in fifteen minutes, we're leaving immediately. Oh, and Sakura? Don't bring any makeup. Looking good in battle is not going to help." The pink-haired girl flushed, glaring at him as a few of the Hokage's aides snickered.

"Not like she needs makeup to look good though," Naruto laughed. Sakura growled even as her blush intensified. It was all the warning the blond got.

"OWWW! SAKURA-CHAAAN!"

_Why does this have 'long mission' written all over it?_ Kakashi asked himself.

Four days later, Kakashi knew the answer.

The team's trip had been rather uneventful up to the point they crossed the Fire/Water Country border. Tazuna had been a near-nervous wreck the whole way, alternating between grumbling about his escorts and getting into shouting matches with Naruto.

Sakura had stuck to Sasuke near-constantly, chattering happily to her crush about seemingly anything and everything that came to mind. The Uchiha, predictably, had tuned her out as much as possible during the day, while practicing with his new blade at night. Naruto had asked to train with Sasuke, but the Uchiha had declined flatly, so Naruto had spent much of his time sending out Kage Bunshins to patrol the area, or fighting them.

On the fourth day, however, their routine changed dramatically when a pair of Mist ninja attacked, "killing" him and immediately splitting up to strike both Naruto and Tazuna.

Fortunately, the two missing ninja weren't prepared for Naruto's new weapon or Sasuke's increased training, and they were able to hold them off long enough for Kakashi to get in behind them and knock them out.

He'd had his genins and Tazuna leave him alone with the two tied up ninja, and after a rather… creative use of genjutsu, they were willing to spill everything about their mission, their boss, and the fact that they were both virgins.

That last one, Kakashi hadn't needed to know.

Still, the rest of their information had been useful… And Kakashi had confronted Tazuna with it.

"You _lied_ about who was after you. Gato, the crime lord," the silver-haired jounin had accused. Tazuna gulped at the killer intent being directed at him.

"I… I didn't have enough money for an A-Rank mission… And this bridge-!"

"I hope you're proud of yourself, really, because if my students weren't as good as they are, you would have had the deaths of three children on your conscience," Kakashi had replied coldly. Sakura had looked a little pale (actually, she'd been pale ever since she'd seen Kakashi "killed"), but both Sasuke and Naruto swelled up in some pride.

"Well, look… Please… This isn't just about me! It's about my country, my people! They need this bridge built, otherwise Gato's oppression will continue! You know about it, right?"

At Kakashi's nod, Tazuna continued.

"Please, I know I can't pay you more but if you _do_ this, you'll be helping an entire nation! Thousands of people are counting on me! If you abandon me…" Tazuna bit his lower lip and backed off, looking away.

"So… This bridge is your hope," Kakashi murmured thoughtfully, before he turned to his students.

"Well, how about it? This mission's no longer C-Rank… It's at least B-Rank or more. There will be more missing ninja coming after Tazuna, probably more powerful than those two we faced before. There is a very good chance some of you might not come back alive."

Sasuke snorted, as Naruto smirked.

"I'm in," the Uchiha explained. Naruto nodded, leaning his Keyblade back against his shoulder.

"Me too! I mean… This _is_ what we wanted… And I'm not going to back down from a challenge!"

Kakashi turned to Sakura, who was wrenching her hands.

"You can probably make it back to Konoha on your own from here," the cyclopean ninja stated, not unkindly. Sakura bit her lip, before shaking her head.

"I… I'm in too," the pink-haired girl said nervously. Kakashi nodded.

"Well then… Let's go, shall we Tazuna? I think we both have missions to complete."

The hideout of Zabuza Momochi was isolated in the cold bogs of Northern Water Country. The trees grew thick here, blotting out the sun overhead and casting the area into everlasting shadows. The thick mists and dangerous animals roaming the forest added to its mysterious and supernatural aura.

But this did not matter to Zabuza. He was the Demon of the Mist, after all. The conditions of Northern Water Country were perfectly suited to his method of fighting and killing, allowing him to turn the forest into his personal hunting ground.

Into this place, came Gato. Zabuza snorted at the two samurai serving as the crime boss's escort, as he reclined in his throne-like chair. Haku, his partner and apprentice, stood at his side, white hunter-ninja mask concealing the younger ninja's face.

"My sources tell me that the two you sent after the old man were defeated," the rodent-like Gato sneered, "by a group of _children_ and their _teacher_. Now, what were the words you used to describe this mission to me, hm? 'Easy', I believe, was one of the words. 'No challenge.' And yet, Tazuna still lives. Exactly what is wrong with this picture?"

Zabuza rolled his eyes, shifting in his chair slightly. Hidden from Gato's view, the two Demon Brothers (said defeated ninja) were clearly frightened at the shipping magnate's words. The Demon of the Mist mentally sighed.

"I talked with them… And the old man's gotten himself some unusually strong escorts for his money. Have you heard of Hatake Kakashi?"

Gato's eyebrows raised.

"The jounin of Konoha? Surely two chuunin could handle him! "

"See, this is why I am a ninja, Gato, and you are not. Actually, there are several reasons why, but the point is. Hatake Kakashi is a legend, among the best ninja ever produced by Konoha. They're the superpower for a reason."

"So, he is too much for you, then?" Gato sneered. Haku tensed, but at a hidden signal from Zabuza backed down. Zabuza leaned forward only a little.

"No… Merely a _rare_ challenge for me. He will fall, the old man will die, and you pay me. End of story." A sudden movement from a window caught Zabuza's attention… But, seeing that it was simply a black crow swooping in, the Demon of the Mist relaxed. He was still somewhat puzzled when it dropped a note into Gato's hands and flew off. Gato opened the letter and scanned it, a disgusting smirk emerging on his rat-like face.

"Oh, one more thing," Gato added, folding the note up and sticking it into his expensive-looking coat pocket. "One of the genin with Tazuna… A business relation of mine has an… Interest, in him." Zabuza raised a hairless brow.

"Yeah? So?"

"So, in return for his elimination, I am willing to… Oh… Triple your pay." Zabuza felt like widening his eyes in disbelief, but his training kicked in and kept his face impassive.

"Oh? And what's so important about this kid?"

"He bears an item of great value to my associate… Get it for me, and I can ensure that you and your crew will live comfortably for the rest of your lives." Zabuza frowned.

"Fine… Who is this brat then?" There was a strange aura from the crime boss, one that caused an emotion in Zabuza. One he hadn't felt in so long, that it took a moment to identify it.

_Fear_. A fear that seemed to tighten around him as Gato grinned and spoke.

"His name is Uzumaki Naruto…"

Xxx

Another day traveling brought them to Wave Country at last, and after the boatman dropped them off on a secluded shore, Team Seven and Tazuna began the trek for the old man's village. As they reached the main road, Naruto froze, hand twitching. Kakashi paused and looked back at his blond student.

"Naruto? What is-?" The Keyblade flashed into existence in his hand, just as the Copy Ninja heard a whistle.

"DOWN!" Kakashi roared, and the group dropped, Tazuna shoved to the ground by Sakura, as a huge sword flew overhead. It embedded itself in a nearby tree, as a tall, bandage-clad ninja dropped to it, standing with his back turned to the group.

"Well, he knows how to make an entrance," Naruto quipped, pushing himself back up to his feet. Sakura helped Tazuna back up, who was grimacing.

"Did you have to push so hard?" The old man complained. Sakura grimaced.

"You're welcome," she muttered. Sasuke merely glared up at the ninja, who was chuckling in a muffled way.

"Hatake Kakashi, the legendary Copy Ninja," the man spoke, turning around and facing them. "This is an honor."

"Momochi Zabuza… The Demon of the Mist. A-Rank missing ninja from Kirigakure," Kakashi returned flatly. "What business do you have here?"

"Nothing personal," Zabuza replied, "but I have to kill the old man… And the blond brat." Naruto gulped a bit as he felt Sasuke, Sakura, and Tazuna's eyes fall on him, but he tried to remain calm.

"And what interest does Gato have with my student?" Kakashi asked coldly. Tazuna winced and mumbled something about, "not asking about _me_," under his breath. Kakashi naturally ignored this.

"I don't ask questions. I'm just trying to make a living," Zabuza explained with a nearly invisible shrug. "Guy's gotta eat, after all."

"Sorry, but it looks like you'll have to go hungry for a little longer," Kakashi stated, as mist rolled in. The jounin lifted up his headband, revealing his other eye to be blood red and dotted black. Sasuke gasped, as Naruto stared in confusion.

_That's… The Sharingan? How does Kakashi-sensei have it?_ Sasuke thought.

Zabuza chuckled darkly, his laugh seemingly coming from all directions as he vanished from view.

"Really? And what chance do you think you have against me, even with that fancy eye of yours?"

"Defensive formation D," Kakashi whispered. The genins surrounded the old man on three sides, Sasuke drawing his chokuto and holding it out in a ready position, as Naruto did the same with his Keyblade. Sakura drew a kunai, looking around frantically.

The sound of steel clashing against steel filled the air, and the mist rolled a bit enough for Kakashi to be revealed, blocking Zabuza's massive blade with a kunai.

"Sensei!" Sakura cried out, as Naruto and Sasuke growled.

"You're making this too easy, you know," Zabuza laughed from all directions again, the eerie echo combined with his killing intent sending a chill down the genin's spines. Tazuna, having faced killing intent like this before, was able to keep standing at least but still trembled.

"I'm sure you've heard of the Mizubunshin," the missing ninja spoke again, and Naruto caught a bit of movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned to Sasuke, and motioned with his head back towards Sakura. Sasuke blinked, looked, and frowned back. Naruto pantomimed blowing fire with two fingers held in front of his mouth like Sasuke. The Uchiha smirked and nodded… Before he leapt up into the air and made handseals.

_"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"_

A massive fireball erupted from Sasuke's mouth and blew through the mist, revealing a surprised looking Zabuza that was instantly hit. At the same moment, Kakashi ducked down and slashed through his Zabuza's stomach, flesh turning back into water or steam in both cases.

"Not bad, for a kid, but not good enough!" Another Zabuza appeared and swung his blade right through Kakashi's torso, ripping a scream from Sakura's mouth… Which abruptly stopped when "Kakashi" turned into water as well. Zabuza chuckled.

"So, this is the power of the Sharingan then," the missing ninja mused… Just before a kunai was plunged into the back of his head by Kakashi. Again, Zabuza dissolved into water, and this Kakashi too was caught by another Zabuza. The mist began to lessen, enough to see the nearby lake clearly enough…

And another Zabuza, holding Kakashi in a ball of glowing water. Kakashi was struggling to break free, as yet another Zabuza stalked towards the genin, creating a pincer move.

"Is this the best you can do?" Zabuza laughed. "You leaf ninja sure have gotten soft…"

"We'll show you soft!" Naruto shouted.

Kakashi grimaced. He'd been tempted to tell the genin to retreat and leave him, but that was apparently no longer an option. They were cut off, he was trapped and being drained of chakra…

Zabuza laughed at Naruto's declaration.

"Oh really? When I was your age, kid, I slaughtered my entire graduating class, just to become a genin. You're just a baby pretending to be a ninja. And soon, you'll just be more blood on my blade to wash off." Naruto growled and rushed one of the Mizu Bunshin, Keyblade swinging.

"Die, you bastard!" This Zabuza clone laughed mockingly and swung his blade. Naruto leapt above the slash and dove like a falcon for the Mizu bunshin's face. The Zabuza clone caught the Keyblade and swung it, easily sending Naruto flying back as he lost his grip.

"DAMMIT!" Naruto cursed.

"_Naruto_!" Sakura cried out.

The clone held up the Keyblade with a scoff.

"_This_ is what that scum wants? Some oversized-?" In a flash of light, the Keyblade vanished from the clone's hand, and reappeared in Naruto's. The orange-clad genin groaned as he got to his feet and glared at Zabuza, who had raised a single, hairless brow.

"…Hrm… Interesting little toy you got there, brat. Where'd you get it?"

"None of your business, you eyebrow-less freak!" Naruto retorted. The blond looked back at his team.

Sasuke was clearly trying to keep up a glare of his own at the missing nin, even though his fear was obvious. And Sakura was trembling so badly she looked as though she might collapse.

_Dammit, we should have trained harder… Wait a minute… That's it!_

"Oi, Sasuke! Remember that time we fought?" Sasuke glared at him for a moment for his stupidity… Before realization flashed in his eyes and a smirk formed on his face. Naruto smirked back. He quickly whispered a few things to the black-haired boy, who then nodded and turned to Sakura.

"Sakura, stay with Tazuna. You'll just get in the way," the Uchiha ordered. Sakura gulped, but nodded, pulling Tazuna closer to her point of the triangle.

"Oh, what, you're going to attack me now, little babies? You should have run when you had the chance," the Zabuzas mocked. Naruto grinned.

"Our sensei taught us that 'those who don't follow the rules are considered trash…but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash'."

"Bah, bunch of touchy feely nonsense," Zabuza snorted. Naruto snarled, rushing towards the Zabuza between the group and the lake. He formed a single hand seal.

_"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu_!" Three dozen Narutos appeared and swarmed Zabuza, before Naruto turned around for the Zabuza trying to attack Sasuke, Tazuna, and Sakura from behind.

_"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" _Two dozen Narutos charged the other Zabuza, just as his first platoon dogpiled the first Zabuza clone. A moment later, all of the orange-clad ninja were knocked away, tumbling to the ground or water and poofing away into smoke. This Zabuza charged the remaining Naruto, who stood perfectly still as his other platoon rushed past Sasuke and charged the rear-attacking Zabuza. Sakura's breath hitched as the missing ninja swung for Naruto.

"NARUTO!" She shrieked, as the blade ripped Naruto cleanly in two. Even so, the blond boy was smirking as he fell apart… And burst into smoke.

"What the-?" This Zabuza started, but was interrupted as Sasuke Uchiha unveiled two Keyblades in his hands. With a smirk he swung them around and threw them at full strength for the water clone before poofing out of existence himself.

"W-W-What the-?" Sakura gasped as Tazuna gaped, their attention divided between the new dogpile of Narutos also bursting into smoke. This water clone of Zabuza seemed to smirk beneath his mask… Before noticing that one of the Naruto clones hadn't poofed into smoke, but instead-

"GAH!" This clone shouted, as Sasuke Uchiha leapt up and slammed his chokuto through his chest. Meanwhile, the other water clone had avoided one of the thrown Keyblades, only to discover that another one had been hiding in its shadow. The second Keyblade changed course to hit the clone and revealed it also had a twin hiding in its shadow. All three poofed into Narutos and began furiously striking at the water clone, as the fourth and final Keyblade spun for Zabuza.

"Damnit!" He cursed, leaping up to avoid the weapon and still maintaining his grip on the water prison holding Kakashi. The Keyblade spun away, before poofing into one last Naruto, holding the real Keyblade.

"Yah!" Naruto yelled, throwing a chakra-charged Keyblade at full speed for Zabuza. The Water Country ninja cursed as he moved, releasing Kakashi as the weapon sailed past his hand. Naruto fell into the water with a splash, head emerging again as he grinned triumphantly at Zabuza.

"Still think we're brats, huh, you eyebrow-less freak?" The blond taunted. Zabuza would have responded… Had he not had to block a strike from Kakashi. The missing ninja could definitely detect an unpleasant smirk under the Copy Ninja's mask.

Zabuza jumped backwards and started chanting, his hands forming signs faster than could be seen… but somehow, Kakashi was matching them, finger for finger, his red eye peeking from his face like a flame.

_"Suiton!"_ they shouted together. _"Suiryūdan no Jutsu!"_

Twin water dragons sprang forth from their bodies, coiling around and attacking each other, collapsing into a giant column of water that was gone in an instant as the two ninja rushed in, their weapons clashing against each other.

_Strange_, though Zabuza. _What's going on?_

He pulled back and circled around, raising one arm high in the air… and Kakashi had done the same.

_My movements,_ he thought. _He's completely_

"-reading them," said Kakashi.

_WHAT? Did he read my mind? That damn_

"-spiral eye is pissing me off?"

Zabuza halted for just a second.

"All you're doing is copying me," he said. "No bastard mimic can match the real thing!"

They were his words… but Kakashi had said them at the exact same time. He rallied, and started making the signs again.

"You think you're so smart? You'll never open your copy-cat mouth again!"

He gasped. There, behind Kakashi… was himself.

_That's… that's impossible. It… it must be a genjutsu!_

Kakashi's sharingan began to rotate around the pupil. "_Suiton_!" he shouted. "_Daibakufu no Jutsu!"_

"IMPOSSIBLE!" a great torrent of water surged out of Kakashi's hands, a giant spiral wave the size of a building. "It's my jutsu… but I can't stand up to it!"

Naruto and the others could barely get out of the way in time… and Zabuza found himself pinned to the tree by kunai. Kakashi was already perched on the branch above him.

"It's over…"

"…how?" croaked Zabuza. "Can you see the future?"

"I see… your death."

Two senbon needles pierced Zabuza's neck and he fell face-first on the ground.

"He was right," giggled a petite, masked figure in the trees. "You're dead."

Xxx

_Preview for Chapter Nine:_

"_But the heart always knows the way home. It's walking the path that's the hard part."_


	9. Return to Wave Mission Pt2

_**llIVoice of Destiny/Inner Sakura**_

"Normal Talking"

_Thoughts/Sound Effects_

"_Flashback dialogue/Japanese/Emphasis of words"_

"**Demon speak"**

_A fanfiction originally by Andrew J. Talon and redone & continued by NanashiX_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Kingdom Hearts, Disney, or any other copyrighted material. The story idea, concept, and original are owned by Andrew Joshua Talon. The continuation is mine and I do this out of pure enjoyment and my love of the story. Note that I edit and add any elements that will benefit my continuation. If you the reader who has read the original feel that you wanted something different, now is the opportune time to tell me via Review or PM. Thank you for reading._

* * *

><p>Key Through the Heart: Rebirth<p>

_Chapter Two of the Wave Arc is where the changes really begin to become noticeable according to Andrew J. Talon._

* * *

><p>After the mysterious hunter nin had taken Zabuza's corpse away, Kakashi had collapsed from chakra exhaustion. The rest of Team Seven had proceeded to carry the unconscious jounin to Tazuna's home, an old inn in the village. A day later, Kakashi had woken up and startled Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura with the assessment that Zabuza was still alive, given that the hunter nin had not disposed of Zabuza's body right then and there.<p>

Kakashi estimated that Zabuza would be recovered and ready to fight within at least one week, so he'd gotten some crutches and began leading the genin into the woods, to begin training in preparation for the next encounter.

Naruto had been hoping for some cool new jutsu or something like that. What he didn't expect though…

"You want us to climb trees without using our hands?" The blond asked incredulously. "What use is _that_?"

Kakashi eye-smiled, hanging upside-down from a large tree's branches by just his crutches and feet.

"Plenty. Firstly, it gives you the ability to stick to solid surfaces, very useful for a ninja. Secondly, the more chakra you use, over time, the larger your chakra stamina becomes. It's like exercising a muscle-You break it down so it grows back stronger. In addition, this training will improve your chakra control so you don't waste as much chakra."

"Huh? Waste?" Naruto asked. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Idiot! It means that you won't keep overloading your jutsus with so much chakra that they fail!" Sakura smiled adoringly at Sasuke next to her, who ignored her and looked on with something close to interest at Kakashi.

"Not only does Sakura understand Chakra, she knows how to control and maintain it as well. We talked about _someone_ becoming Hokage one day, didn't we? Seems like Sakura's got the best chance of that, wouldn't you say? And as for the great Uchiha clan...maybe they're not so great after all," Kakashi mused aloud. Sasuke and Naruto deathglared Kakashi the whole way down the tree, until he was standing back on the grass.

"So then, remember to gather just enough chakra to the bottoms of your feet to stick to the tree. Too much and you'll be repelled, too little and you'll fall off. So, get to it!"

Naruto groaned, but made the ram seal and gathered chakra to his feet anyway. He chose the same tree Kakashi had climbed, and stuck a foot onto the trunk. He took another step, then another, then kicked off as he felt himself begin to slip. He landed and grunted irritably, before looking over at his teammates.

Sasuke had made it about ten steps up his tree, slashing where he'd made it before backflipping off and landing in a crouch. Sakura was already in the upper branches, swinging about from branch to branch with ease.

"That's about what I expected from Sasuke...and Naruto," Kakashi said quietly. Grumbling, Naruto pulled out a kunai and started running up the tree again.

_Ten… Eleven… Twelve…_ Naruto stopped and gritted his teeth, focusing on staying glued to the trunk. Unconsciously, the Keyblade flashes into his hand, and suddenly…

"Huh?" Naruto relaxed and stood normally, still stuck to the tree. He grinned.

"Awesome!" The blond laughed, twirling his weapon about with ease on his fingers. Down below, Sasuke glared up at Naruto, and began his dogged climb up the tree once more.

"Naruto! No using the Keyblade!" Kakashi called out. Naruto scowled.

"Aw, c'mon! Why not?"

"Because, if you become too reliant on it, if you lose it you will undoubtedly be defeated," Kakashi stated flatly. Naruto sighed, and dismissed the Keyblade. Rather than trying to run up the tree once more, he focused on staying right where he was. Without the Keyblade's focusing of his chakra, however, it was a _lot_ more difficult.

"Grrr… Guhhh… Woah!" The blond waved his arms, before turning and standing with his right shoulder facing the ground. He leaned up, trying to get some more leverage while still hanging on to the tree.

Kakashi nodded to himself at this, and was pleased to see Sasuke also climb up and try to stay in one place.

_It's definitely less dangerous that way…_ Kakashi turned his gaze to Sakura, who had already made it to the top of her tree and was slowly making her way down.

_As for her…_

"Sakura, that's enough. Come with me, Tazuna should be headed to the bridge by now, and I have some training you can do." Sakura smiled happily and slid to the ground, waving back at Sasuke as she left.

"Bye Sasuke-kun! See you later!"

"What? No goodbye for me, Sakura-chan?" Naruto shouted back. Sakura scowled.

"Fine. Bye to you too, Naruto!"

"Don't I at least get a kiss?" The blond whined. Sakura snarled.

"NOT ON YOUR LIFE, PAL!"

"Awww," Naruto sighed. He turned to glare at Sasuke, who was looking almost amused.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up Sasuke-_chan_," the blond teased. Sasuke scowled.

"Shut up, dead last."

"Make me, you emo bastard!"

"Bet I can make it to the top before you can."

"You're on!"

* * *

><p>Sakura had hoped this 'special training' of Kakashi's would be something fantastic.<p>

_All the better to impress Sasuke-kun with._

_**SHANNARO!**_

Hauling sacks of cement with the rest of the work crew, while Kakashi-sensei just read his book and relaxed in the shade, was not what she had in mind.

"Damnit…" She huffed under her breath, groaning under the weight of the twenty-pound bag. She toddled up to the cement mixer and set it on the ground with a grunt, wiping her glistening forehead.

"Hey, little girl, what're you doing here?" Asked a rather large-looking worker with a smirk. Inner Sakura bristled, but outer simply smiled politely while trying not to grit her teeth.

"I'm helping. My sensei says it's good training," she got out stiffly. The worker laughed, a few other men joining him.

"_You_? A little girl like _you_? C'mon, out of the way, we ain't that desperate." Sakura scowled, and Inner Sakura immediately wanted to punch this guy's lights out…

Then she saw the sixty pound bag next to the worker, and smirked.

_If chakra can be used to stick to objects…_ Can it also be used to push them away? Cracking her knuckles, Sakura walked past the laughing workers and stood before the sixty pound bag. Forming the ram seal, she collected a little chakra into her hands then legs. She gripped the bag, making sure her hands stuck to it with chakra, and then pushed with her legs and chakra against the ground.

The bag came up easily, almost flying out of her hands, but Sakura kept her grip and held the bag up. She turned around at the fact that the laughter had stopped. Now only dropped jaws filled the silence.

"Where would you like this?" Sakura asked sweetly. Tazuna, having heard the commotion (and now as gob smacked as his workers) pointed to the mixer. Sakura nodded and ripped the bag open like she would a bag of chips, before pouring it all into the spinning machine. She discarded the bag, panting a bit as she felt a slight burn inside herself.

_What the…? Oh. That's chakra exhaustion. I'm getting close to my limit already…?_

Some distance away, Kakashi chuckled at the spectacle.

"Keep at it, Sakura! Five more bags like that one!"

"_FIVE?!"_ Sakura screeched back. Kakashi eye-smiled.

"It's five, or no dinner," he stated flatly. Sakura, resigned to her fate, walked over to the pile of cement bags and picked up another sixty pounds.

_Her chakra control is already exceptional, but her physical stamina is practically zero, Kakashi mused. By learning how to enhance her strength with her chakra, she'll build up her reserves much more quickly and be far more useful in the next engagement._

_Which reminds me…_ Kakashi sighed and quickly made a water clone, which went off to keep a lookout. He assumed a meditative stance and began to focus his chakra into different shapes and sizes. To his developed senses, his chakra coils were severely "imbalanced" due to the Sharingan eye, which he could not deactivate. It drained chakra fast while exposed, which was why Kakashi had to keep it covered.

After he'd… Received the eye, Kakashi had had to meditate daily to adjust his chakra control to compensate for having the Sharingan. However, after retiring from ANBU, he'd reduced the meditation sessions to weekly exercises. Then monthly.

Rather than beat himself up for his carelessness, Kakashi was determined to get back into 'shape'.

The next encounter with Zabuza, the jounin vowed, would be the last.

* * *

><p><em>The darkness swept over everything. Lands, seas, towns, castles…<em>

_Everything, everyone in its path was consumed._

_At first they'd thought it was Kuja again, the resemblance between himself and the creatures so close it couldn't be coincidence…_

_But the monsters knew no limits, obeyed no masters. No army, no spell, no Eidolon could stop them._

_And in the end, the little boy mage, out of magic, out of life, fell before the darkness. But, instead of empty, dark oblivion… He heard the sound of birds chirping. Wind in leaves high above him. Scattered sunlight, sprinkling kisses of warmth on his shaded face._

_The boy opened his eyes. He saw green… How long had it been that he'd seen green? The darkness had consumed everything he thought…_

_His blurry vision alerted him to a patch of yellow above a purplish blob, entering some kind of clearing. The scent of wildflowers filled his nostrils as the breeze blew against his face. The being seemed not to notice him, bending over and picking more flowers nestled at the foot of the trees. His vision cleared, and he saw a girl, dressed in purple and fishnet, bandages wrapped around her forearms, legs, and torsoe._

_Was she injured? She didn't look injured…_

_His tired senses soon gave him more information to work with. She had magic-He could feel it from here. Not as great as his, no doubt, but the signature left no doubt in his mind this would and could change. She was physically fit, and by the pouch clanking softly at her side, she was armed._

_She seemed like a warrior… Which is why he wasn't too surprised when, as a number of shadows that had destroyed his world emerged, she dropped her flowers and let loose with throwing knives, leaping and gracefully avoiding their hungry claws._

_But her weapons were useless-They were only steel. The mage knew what it would take to stop these creatures…_

_Tiredly, he felt for his staff. Calling out weakly to her, she gaped. He looked like the monsters, true, but she had to, needed to know he wasn't one of them._

_So he threw her the spare staff, and croaked out._

_"Point and think 'Fire!' Quickly!"_

_The girl caught the weapon easily and, though her face was incredulous, she held out the staff and focused. The boy mage could sense the magic in her being focused by the staff, turning energy into flame as her will merged with the weapon…_

_"FIRE!" With a roar, a blast of flames issued from the staff and blew apart the creatures, returning them to the darkness from which they came. The girl sagged in shock (and, no doubt, magical fatigue, given what his senses were telling him), before slowly, cautiously, edging towards the mage, staff pointed at him._

_" Who are you?" She demanded. Though clearly shocked and tired, her spirit kept her words harsh. The boy mage was reminded of another blond he'd known…_

_"Vivi Ornitier. Um… Thank you for saving my life."_

* * *

><p>Ino blinked, staff still held at the little… Boy? Creature? Vivi's head.<p>

"Uh… No problem," she got out, a little confused. "You okay?"

Vivi nodded, his dark face and glowing yellow eyes dipping slightly under the wide brim of his tan, pointed hat.

"If you don't mind… Me asking… Where am I?"

Ino blinked.

"Konoha… Land of Fire… Eastern Continent…?" She tried. Vivi shook his head, eyes narrowed as though in a frown.

"Er… This isn't Terra, is it?"

"Terra? Is that a… Country? Village?"

"Planet," the boy said. Ino's jaw dropped.

_"Planet?!"_

Vivi winced.

"Um, yes."

"Wait. Wait a minute. You're telling me… Wait… Then that means…! You're space invaders!" Ino gasped. Vivi shook his head rapidly.

"No! No, no, no! No, I'm not! I mean, those things, _they_ are, but not _me_. I'm not invading anything, really!"

Ino frowned, staff still trained on Vivi's head.

"Oh yeah? Then what were those things? And why did they look like you?"

Vivi sighed, going a little more limp.

"I dunno… They… Took my world… Consumed it… And now I'm here…"

"Hey, hey, hang on! Are you okay?" Ino asked, bending down and trying to feel for a pulse. Vivi's eyes closed a little more.

"So tired…" He yawned, before his eyes winked out entirely. Ino yanked off his hat, and gaped at the fact that Vivi's head was all black. It was almost like he was the victim of a horrible burn… Only the skin beneath Ino's hands was smooth and, well… Skin-like.

_An alien. He's an alien. Has to be. Damnit, why did I watch those stupid movies with dad?_ Ino mentally cursed. She could at least pick up a pulse, which (hopefully) meant that Vivi was okay. Ino knew squat about aliens, but that was a heartbeat she was feeling.

"Well… I can't just leave you here," the blonde decided. She put his hat back on and lifted the small boy onto her back.

"So, if anyone asks, you're a big, stuffed toy I found, allright?" Ino asked, a small smile on her face.

_Snore_, went Vivi. Ino blinked.

"… Okay… Guess aliens have to sleep too…" She tucked the staff into her belt, fingers lingering on the handle. The sensation when she'd willed fire to shoot from the staff… Her chakra seemed to sing in her body. Ino had never felt anything like it, so amazing, so… Powerful.

And apparently, in the hands of an alien. Wizard. Vivi. Maybe he was a Vivi in addition to it being his name?

"Well… Whatever you are, Vivi Ornitier… Welcome to Konoha," Ino said quietly, as she set out for home.

* * *

><p>Naruto panted, pausing only a moment… Before rushing back up the trunk.<p>

_Thirteen… Fourteen… Fifteen… Sixteen…_

Naruto felt his chakra become unbalanced, and fought the urge to summon the Keyblade.

_Twenty… Twenty-two… Twenty-three-!_

He lost control. Naruto slashed the tree with his kunai before falling back down, landing in a crouch. Panting, he looked over at Sasuke's tree and gritted his teeth.

_He's still climbing, that's impossible!_ Naruto thought angrily.

Meanwhile, Sasuke marked off his progress and landed back to Earth as well. Scrutinizing Naruto's tree, he bared his teeth in a silent snarl.

_He's catching up to me, little by little…_

The two genin glared at eachother.

"You… Damnit, how are you getting so good so fast? Are you using that stupid weapon of yours?" Sasuke demanded. Naruto growled.

"No, I'm not!"

"Then how the hell are you catching up to me?" Sasuke snarled. Naruto glared right back.

"Because I'm _working hard_, dumbass! We're not all _geniuses_, you bastard!"

They resumed glaring at each other, before resuming the climb. Well into the night, they climbed, until finally, they both reached the tops of their trees. Naruto stared over at Sasuke, who stared back… Before bursting into laughter.

Sasuke just smirked back.

"Looks… Like a tie, huh bastard?"

"Hn…" Sasuke replied.

The two got to the ground, and staggered off, together, in silence. When they got to the inn, Naruto collapsed in exhaustion before being able to have dinner, leaving Kakashi to set him on the couch while the others went to bed.

* * *

><p><em>Whack<em>!

"Damn!"

_Whack_!

"GAH! Damnit!"

_WHACK_!"

_"DAMNIT!"_

_CRACK_!

The tree had been a very young oak, sitting near the edge of the forest near Tazuna's home. It was broken about three feet above the ground, top bowed to the grass as though in reverence to the one who had felled it.

Sakura didn't notice this. She just winced.

As Tazuna couldn't spare any lumber for this next part of Sakura's training (his daughter Tsunami and his grandson Inari already requiring the wood to survive), Kakashi had directed the pink-haired girl to some small trees and told her to start honing her strength-enhancement. By punching said trees.

_Trees_. With her _bare_ _knuckles_. For _three_ _whole_ _days_ now, in addition to the 'training' at the bridge! And Kakashi-sensei expected her to do this for a whole _week_?!

Sakura groaned, collapsing to her spandex-covered bottom, as she tiredly looked at the setting sun. She then looked at her bloody knuckles wrapped in stained bandages dismally.

"Damnit," she muttered again. She'd asked Kakashi-sensei if she could kick the trees, but no-He'd said she had to "toughen up first".

And how was she supposed to attract Sasuke's attention with _bruised_, _oversized_ _knuckles_?

"Damn that…" She seethed, imagining driving her fist into that smiling, masked face. That was one benefit to going through this training, she reflected evilly.

"Um, Sakura-chan?" Sakura jumped back to her feet, prepared to defend herself… Then relaxing, as she saw it was just Naruto.

"Yeah, Naruto?" She bit out, fatigue making her words sharper than usual. The orange-clad boy was holding something behind his back.

"Um, it's time for dinner… Tsunami-nee-chan made rice and fish," the blond went on. Sakura frowned. _Why is he so quiet?_

"Right…"

Naruto fidgeted again, before pulling his hands back in front of himself. He held out a package. Sakura blinked as he grinned.

"Hey, Sakura-chan! I almost forgot! This is for you!" Sakura took the package gingerly, before opening it. She blinked and picked out the back, rough pieces of fabric contained within.

"What…?" Naruto grinned as she held up the fingerless gloves.

"I got 'em from a worker while I was on shift guarding the old man. Old leather gloves, guy said he'd used to box with them. I thought, since Kakashi-sensei's had you training like this, you'd like them!"

The blond moved forward, and opened up one of the gloves. Sakura made no move to stop him as he slipped them onto her fingers, one by one, as though playing a baby game with her digits.

The warm, tough leather felt good around her aching knuckles, and she made a fist, smiling as her joints loosened just a bit. Sakura turned her smile to Naruto, who blushed and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"They're… Well… Thank you, Naruto," Sakura spoke, a bit awkwardly. After all, it was Naruto. The loud, brainless, insensitive moron who just _had_ to have a crush on _her_…

Who had just given her a very thoughtful gift.

Naruto beamed happily.

"I'm glad you like 'em! So, c'mon! Otherwise Sasuke'll eat everything before us!"

Sakura scoffed.

"He will not! He's not the one who slurps up ramen like a starving man all the time!"

Naruto darted away, as though to keep out of range of her fists, and grinned foxily at her.

"No, but ramen is the food of the gods! It MUST be indulged in! To not do so is a _crime_, I tell you!"

Sakura snorted, but still wore a smile as she followed the energetic blond to dinner.

A dinner marked by Inari, Tazuna's grandson, shooting his mouth off as Tsunami served the meal. The boy had apparently suffered in silence long enough.

"Why are you training so hard? Gato'll just kill you all! It's pointless!" Inari stated shrilly. Naruto finished his bowl of rice before glaring at the small boy.

"You know, you're getting pretty annoying, brat! I'll have you know I'm Uzumaki Naruto! A ninja legend in the making, pal! And I'm not afraid of some sniveling crime lord!" Inari glared back, tiny fists at his sides.

"What would you know about hardship, huh? You're always laughing and smiling! You don't know what it's like to live a rough life! You've got it easy!"

A deathly chill fell over the table, as Naruto slammed his chopsticks down. Sakura felt fear grip her heart, and some part of her mind noted analytically that this was _killing intent_.

Sasuke, Kakashi, everyone stared at Naruto as he glared so hatefully, so _angrily_ at Inari, the little boy was shaking violently, eyes wide. A hint of red seemed to emerge from Naruto's eyes, as though the irises were trying to decide on a color.

"_I've_ had it easy? I've had it _easy_?! You don't know _squat, you little brat_. Listen to yourself whining and complaining like some sorry little victim. You can whimper all day for all I care! You're nothing but a _coward_!"

With that, Inari got up from his chair and ran off, leaving a seething Naruto.

"That little…!"

"I'm sorry about that," Tazuna spoke. "It's just… His father…"

After Tazuna and Tsunami told all assembled about Inari's father Kaiza, Naruto shook his head and muttered something about more training as he walked out. Sasuke said nothing, just stared at the empty chair and plate the blond left behind.

* * *

><p>Naruto had summoned the Keyblade quite some distance away from the house, in a small clearing, and proceeded to create as many Kage Bunshins as he could.<p>

"_Bring it!"_

With every slash, parry, and attack, he tried to forget the feeling that had risen inside him at Inari's statements.

It had felt… Like pure rage. Not quite his own. It just seemed like anger turned into liquid, bubbling up inside him. The memory of what the Third Hokage had told him came to mind:

"_Naruto… The Keyblade is tied to your soul, and life force, and therefore your chakra. And, right now, the Kyuubi's demonic chakra is boosting your own, just as the seal was designed to do. But… In time, its influence on you may grow_."

"Great… Stupid furball," Naruto cursed. After slaughtering the majority of his clones, he had the remaining ones and himself start climbing the trees again. He may have been exhausted, but he pushed through it, all the while Tazuna's story about Kaiza, the country's hero, echoed in his mind…

* * *

><p>Haku sighed, brushing her long black hair out of her eyes as she picked through the forest. It had been a long night. Zabuza-sama had suffered some complications from the technique she'd used to put him into a coma, and she'd used up all their medicinal herbs and potions to heal him.<p>

What was worse, Gato had come (again) to berate Zabuza-sama (again). Haku had been so tempted to put senbon through his eyeballs. His samurai bodyguards barely qualified as meat shields, they'd be dead before they could…

_Hm?_ Her senses detected a rather low-level chakra signature. She frowned, analyzing it as she stealthily headed towards the source.

Her eyes soon came into contact with a blond, orange and black clad boy, lying unconscious near a tree. In one hand, he held a kunai. In the other…

_It's_ him, she thought. The boy they'd been assigned to eliminate. _Uzumaki Naruto…_

Haku reigned in her excitement, and carefully considered the situation. He was alone. He was exhausted. The Keyblade was right _there_…

No other significant chakra signatures were nearby. She could kill him right here and the Keyblade… The mission…

She approached, kneeling down next to the boy. She frowned, mentally tracing his features. He was somewhat small for his age, tanned, and a slight baby-face. Whisker-shaped scars decorated his cheeks, three on each side. His spiky yellow hair looked fur-like, and with his ninja headband having come loose at some point in his sleep, gently fell over his forehead.

Her pale fingers slowly reached out, stretching towards the boy's neck. Her training coldly reminded her that a quick snap of the neck, and the boy would die painlessly.

He grimaced, and Haku froze, hand centimeters from his throat.

"I'm sorry… Please…" He murmured in his sleep, and Haku bit her lower lip. Part of her tried to will her fingers forward again…

"I'm not… A monster… Please… I'm sorry," he murmured again, and Haku took a deep, silent breath. Her hand shook once… Before she pulled it back. The anguish in the boy's voice…

"You'll catch a cold if you sleep here. Wake up." Haku spoke. The boy stirred, and opened his eyes blearily.

"Who the heck are you? Oh!" The boy blushed at seeing Haku's face.

"Hi there. Who are you? I mean what are you doing out here and all that?"

Haku smiled cheerfully.

"I'm gathering herbs."

"Herbs?"

"Yes, for treating injuries and illness."

"Ah," the boy acknowledged. "I'm Naruto."

"Haku," the girl returned politely.

"So, starting work early, huh _nee_-chan?" Naruto asked.

"I like it early. It's calm, and I didn't think I'd find anyone sleeping out here in the woods," Haku chuckled. The blond smiled.

"I was training… All night… Guess I got carried away," he laughed, rubbing the back of his head.

"Hmm? So are you a ninja? Because I noticed that headband you're wearing. Or are you just trying to make a fashion statement?" Haku asked, slightly teasingly. The memory of Naruto's involvement in the battle against Zabuza came loud and clear in her mind.

"You noticed that? Cool! Well… Only _real_ ninja get to wear the-Hey, where'd it go?" Naruto felt his forehead and his eyes widened. Wordlessly, Haku handed him his handband. The blond chuckled again, as Haku joined him.

"Ah ha, heh… Thanks…"

"So, why are you out here training, Naruto?" Haku inquired. Naruto shrugged, tying his headband back on.

"To get stronger, I guess…"

"Oh? You aren't strong enough?" Haku asked. Naruto shook his head, expressing turning melancholy. Unbidden, Haku felt her heart go out to him. She quickly stamped it down.

"No… Maybe the problem is… Um… I have too much strength… And I don't know how to control it," Naruto spoke, holding the Keyblade up a bit. He glared at the weapon, and Haku regarded it covertly herself.

_Odd, it doesn't look sharp… But it clearly focuses chakra, and with how he can summon it…_

"Too much strength? I'm not sure I understand," Haku spoke quietly. Naruto sighed.

"… I mean… I've been given, well… This great responsibility. This power. And its something that's been used for good, but also… evil. If I don't learn how to control it, it'll… Well, I have no idea _what_ it could do…" Naruto grit his teeth, and Haku bit her lip.

"… You're afraid… It will destroy those precious to you," Haku spoke. Naruto blinked, and turned to her again, nodding.

"Yeah…"

Haku smiled gently, and placed a hand over Naruto's. The boy blushed at this, as Haku locked eyes with him.

"I have found that… If you focus, not so much on your power, but why you use it, and for whom… It's much easier. If you use your power for the protection of those you love, who are precious to you, then controlling it becomes easier. And, more than that, you become stronger for it."

Naruto frowned.

"I… become stronger?"

"Power by itself is only power," Haku spoke, "but power with a purpose, combines with that purpose. For people who are precious to you, you will fight harder and longer to keep them safe, because they in turn give you strength. Understand?"

Naruto nodded, and smiled happily.

"Wow! Thanks, _nee_-chan! You're really smart!"

Haku nodded and smiled. She rose and turned to go… Before looking back over her shoulder.

"Oh, and by the way… I'm really a boy."

Naruto's jaw dropped.

"No… No way…" He murmured in disbelief, as Haku giggled.

"Just kidding!"

Naruto immediately relaxed, and chuckled.

"That wasn't very nice, nee-chan."

"It was funny though, wasn't it?" Teased Haku. Naruto smirked.

"Yep… One prankster to another, I can definitely appreciate it… So, can I walk you home, nee-chan?"

Haku smiled and shook her head.

"No… My heart knows the way."

"Huh? Your heart…?" Haku turned away, her smile becoming sad as she departed.

"The heart always knows the way home. It's walking the path that's the hard part…" She replied quietly, leaving Naruto to stare at her back as she vanished.

Some time later, she arrived back at Zabuza's base. Immediately, she sensed a presence in the hideout, and created a senbon with her bloodline limit as she entered.

Zabuza was sitting up, facemask off. She started.

"Zabuza-sama! You shouldn't-!"

"Shut it, Haku," Zabuza stated flatly. He smirked as he held up some oddly-shaped bottles. "That partner of Gato's sent some medicine. Relax, I checked it for poison. This stuff works _wonders_… Called it an _elixir_, or something… Anyway, get ready. We've got to start planning for the next attack."

Haku thought of Naruto, and her heart felt heavy.

"Very well, Zabuza-sama…"

* * *

><p><em>Preview for Chapter Ten:<em>

_"You didn't think it'd be THAT easy, did you? You pitiful insects!"_


	10. Return to Wave Mission Pt3

_**llIVoice of Destiny/Inner Sakura**_

"Normal Talking"

_Thoughts/Sound Effects_

"_Flashback dialogue/Japanese/Emphasis of words"_

"**Demon speak"**

_A fanfiction originally by Andrew J. Talon and redone & continued by NanashiX_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Kingdom Hearts, Disney, or any other copyrighted material. The story idea, concept, and original are owned by Andrew Joshua Talon. The continuation is mine and I do this out of pure enjoyment and my love of the story. Note that I edit and add any elements that will benefit my continuation. If you the reader who has read the original feel that you wanted something different, now is the opportune time to tell me via Review or PM. Thank you for reading._

Key Through the Heart: Rebirth

_**Author's Note:**____**Final Chapter of the Wave Arc. And final chapter of the three part update enjoy my readers. Enjoy. **_

Xxx

Ino finished her meal with a happy sigh, smiling at her mother across the kitchen table.

"Thanks Mom! That was great!" Yamanaka Yuki frowned and raised a pale eyebrow at her only daughter.

"You've been eating a lot more lately, Ino-chan. Off your diet?"

Ino shrugged casually.

"Well, Asuma-sensei says that I'll burn off any fat on missions, so I shouldn't worry about it. May I be excused?"

Yuki nodded, gathering the dishes and taking them to the sink with a smile. Personally, she was glad her daughter's sensei was getting through to Ino. All of these silly diets and 'fads'-She knew enough about the shinobi world to know that such things would be no help to bringing her daughter back safely. She chewed on her fingernail absently as she listened to her daughter head upstairs to her room, before resuming washing the dishes.

_That's funny,_ she thought. _I could have sworn I laid out more bowls than this…_

Upstairs, Ino closed the door to her bedroom. She pulled out a small box from under her skirt, which she set on the floor… And quickly made a handseal.

"_Kai!"_ _Poof!_ Several potatoes, a bowl of rice, fish, and dumplings emerged, sitting prettily. The blonde looked around.

"Vivi? You there?" She turned to the closet, and frowned. She walked up and opened it, raising an eyebrow at the little mage sitting next to an old, oversized teddy bear.

"Vivi, I've got dinner," Ino sighed. She walked over to the mage and poked him… Blinking in shock as the stock-still figure _poofed_ out of existence.

"Eh?" Ino sweatdropped.

"Oh, hello Ino," Vivi spoke behind her. Ino jumped and turned around, glaring.

"Vivi! Damnit, don't_do_ that!" The little mage laughed nervously.

"Sorry, I just… I was practicing this spell in one of your scrolls and-" Ino blinked.

"Wait a minute… You mastered the _bunshin no jutsu…_ In how long?"

Vivi shrugged.

"A few hours?" Ino gaped. Vivi's yellow eyes became crescents as he laughed nervously again.

"Er, I just… I got bored and-"

"It took me a _year_ to get that jutsu!" Ino exclaimed. She smirked and shook her head, waving her finger at him.

"That's not very fair, Vivi-kun."

The black mage blinked.

"W-Well, um…"

"Now, you have to teach _me_ something," Ino decreed. Vivi blinked.

"Eh? But I already taught you a couple of things…"

Ino sighed.

"Yeah, but… Seriously, a _shrinking_jutsu? What good is that?"

Vivi crossed his arms.

"It lets you _feed_ me… And it's a _spell,_ not a _jutsu,_" the mage scowled. Ino crossed her arms over her chest and scowled back.

"C'mon! I saved you from those… Whatever-they-were! I've kept you hidden in my house for a week now, and fed you! And you know one of my jutsus! Fair is fair, Vivi-san!"

The black mage sighed and adjusted his hat.

"Yes, but it's just that… Well…"

Ino looked expectantly at Vivi. The mage coughed.

"I just… I have enough trouble understanding how my powers work. I don't know if I could be a good teacher…"

"You taught me the 'Mini' jutsu-Okay, fine, _spell,"_ Ino corrected at Vivi's look. "And I could make fire without any training. C'mon! It's not like I'd abuse them!"

"No, but you're a ninja. You, well…" Vivi sighed. "I just… Don't like using my powers on people. And if I taught them to you, I'd have to accept the fact that you'd be using _my_spells against _other people._"

Ino bit her lip, lowering her arms to her sides. This was something she herself was having difficulty with. Originally, she'd become a ninja because, in all honesty, she wanted to be like her father. Sasuke had entered the equation later, but at the heart of her efforts lay just that-She wanted to carry on her family's legacy.

She wanted to make her dad happy and proud. And her mother too, though her mother would be happier if she stayed at home and became a florist.

Not that she didn't_like_ flowers-She loved them-but at her core, Ino knew she couldn't be happy with just that.

"I know… It's just that…" Ino sighed. _How can I explain this to him when I'm having trouble explaining it to myself?_

Ino decided to just go for it. It was how she was taught, after all.

"Vivi… I'm the weakest member of my team. Chouji has his strength, Shikamaru's a genius, and me, well… I've got nothing, aside from one family jutsu. _One._ And for protecting my friends, it's nearly useless," Ino said quietly. The mage stared at her, glowing yellow eyes for once betraying nothing.

"I don't… I don't want to be useless any more," the blonde went on, matching Vivi's gaze. "I don't want to just… Just stand around, you know?" Ino bit her lip again.

Vivi said nothing, for some time, just staring back… Before nodding with a slight sigh.

"… Okay." The mage rummaged about in his pockets, before pulling out what appeared to be a tiny stick. Holding his staff over it, he mumbled something before it _popped_into another staff. He handed it to Ino, who looked between it and Vivi's staff.

Vivi's staff was like dull bronze in color and texture, curling upwards in a spiral that ended in a wing-like attachment, arcing upwards away from a deep red orb. When she was close to it, Ino could _feel_ the raw power it contained, buzzing the air around her.

The other staff, however…

"It's… What _is_ that thing anyway?" Ino asked, holding the plain wooden object with some distaste. It's head curled up into itself like a seashell, while it's handle was wrapped in bandages. Vivi tapped it twice with his staff, and Ino was surprised to see it extend nearly twice it's original size, making it more of a quarterstaff to her.

"That is my first staff," Vivi said with a touch of nostalgia to his voice. "It's better tuned to fire-type spells than anything else, which makes it easier to learn on." Ino blinked.

"Huh?"

"Well… Essentially, if you use magic-chakra, I guess-with this staff, you can do fire spells without too much effort, because it _shapes_ your magic-chakra, sorry-into fire, until you can learn how to do it yourself."

Ino nodded in understanding.

"Like training wheels on a bike?"

The mage blinked at her.

"What's a bike?"

Ino sweatdropped.

"Er, nevermind… So… How many staves do you have anyway?"

"Every single one I ever learned a spell on," Vivi said proudly. Ino grinned at this.

"Oh? Bit of a packrat, huh?"

"Well, when you shrink them, they don't take up a lot of room," the mage explained. "Besides, um… My best friend got most of them for me…"

Ino frowned as Vivi trailed off.

"Best friend…?"

The mage nodded.

"Yeah. His name's… His name was Zidane. You remind me of him, actually."

"Oh? Was he good-looking, confident, and all together wonderful?" Ino asked with a smile. Vivi blinked.

"Er… Yes… _Exactly_ like that," the mage replied, thinking that a certain blond boy with a tail was laughing at him from Heaven…

Xxx

Kakashi had found Naruto konked out after _another_ all-nighter of training furiously, and rather than let him sleep outside (again), he took him into Tazuna's house and put him on the couch. Sasuke and Sakura had finished their morning exercises, and the jounin decided to take them both with him to the bridge with Tazuna. The deadline for Zabuza's counterattack was near.

On their way to the construction site, a low mist covering the area, Kakashi could not help but reflect on how pleased he was with their progress; especially in such a short amount of time.

Already, he could sense that Sakura's chakra reserves had increased considerably, and the crash-course training was already showing in her improved muscle tone. She'd tied that ridiculously long hair of hers into a tight ponytail, which (while not being as short as he'd like) nevertheless was better than letting it go every which way in a fight. Also, the way she carried herself… She was prepared for battle.

_Thank God she's a fast learner,_ the jounin thought to himself… Before mentally facefaulting as she gave Sasuke a lovesick look, which the Uchiha predictably ignored.

_Not as fast as I'd like though…_

Sasuke, Kakashi now observed, had also improved. He was already suppressing his chakra signature, and he could tell by the way Sasuke moved that he was sensing chakra far more acutely than before. His hand was already on the hilt of his sword, and Kakashi looked at him. Sasuke looked back.

_He's here,_ they both thought.

Sakura, looking between them both, frowned as well and discretely got behind Tazuna, looking over her shoulder and listening. She pulled on her gloves as they reached the bridge.

The construction site came into view… And Kakashi cursed his instincts as the bodies of fallen workers came into view.

"What the-! Dosu! Gin! What happened?" Tazuna exclaimed, rushing forward while Kakashi, Sakura, and Sasuke kept up, scanning the area.

"Za… Zabuza… He said he was…" One of the workers gasped out, as Tazuna fell to his knees and tried to hold up his head. Kakashi looked forward, eye narrowed.

The mist parted, just enough for two figures to be revealed. Zabuza stared defiantly back at the jounin, a smirk underneath his face wrappings, while the 'hunter-nin' stood at his side, the mask obscuring anything else substantial.

"I see you were expecting me," Zabuza laughed. Kakashi glared back.

"Your friend slipped up," the Copy Ninja observed. Sakura harrumphed.

"He's got some nerve facing us again after pulling that trick..." The pink haired girl growled, glaring at the masked ninja.

"...and hiding behind a mask," Kakashi added. "Who does he think he's fooling?"

Sakura sweatdropped.

"Ahem, speak for yourself, sensei," Sakura noted. Kakashi gave her an eye smile, before turning back to the missing nin.

"Why exactly did you bring the brat pack with you again? They'll just be blood on my blade. The boy is shaking in _fear_ already," Zabuza gloated.

Sasuke smirked, drawing his blade and holding it up.

"I'm not trembling in fear… I'm trembling in _excitement,"_ the Uchiha returned smoothly. Sakura sighed happily, before coughing and quickly assuming a fighting stance. Zabuza laughed at this, as Kakashi shook his head.

"You've made a big mistake, Zabuza," the jounin stated.

"Oh really? And what was that?" The missing nin leered.

"Insulting these ninja and calling them brats. That's sure to bring out Sasuke's attitude, and he's the best young fighter of the Hidden Leaf Village," Kakashi spoke, and Sasuke's smirk widened. He moved forward ahead of the others, sword held in a ready stance.

"Sakura here is our sharpest mind, and _much_ stronger than she looks," Kakashi indicated next, and Sakura smiled unpleasantly, cracking her knuckles.

"And last, but not least, our number-one, hyperactive knucklehead ninja… is Naruto Uzumaki."

Back at Tazuna's house, a certain blond ninja sneezed, groggily beginning to wake up.

"Now then… Shall we begin?" Kakashi asked, kunai already in hand. Zabuza smirked.

"Certainly…"

Leaping over the sides of the bridge, six Zabuza _mizu bunshin_ appeared, surrounding Sasuke. Two more came at the Leaf ninja and Tazuna from behind, swords swinging in unison.

Kakashi turned back, but Sakura was already in motion. The pink-haired girl grabbed Tazuna and (despite the old man's screeching protest) tossed him into the air, before she leapt forward, landing on the dull edge of the first Zabuza clone's sword. In its surprise it didn't react in time to stop Sakura's chakra-enhanced fist smash through its face, dissolving the whole thing into water.

The next clone charged from the side, but Sakura leapt away, catching the shrieking Tazuna in mid-air. Kakashi dispatched this clone with a single kunai as it gaped, wide-eyed, at the spectacle, and Kakashi turned back once he was sure Sakura had landed with Tazuna safely.

Sasuke had leapt up and taken down one Zabuza clone easily, getting within its defenses and slashing its water-filled head off, but not before using it's falling torso to spring back at the one behind him. A kick to the throat crushed this clone's neck, returning him to water once more.

The last three clones charged Sasuke as one, to which Sasuke quickly detached the sheath of his sword and swung it around in his spare hand. Catching the first bunshin's blade and forcing it down, Sasuke jabbed it through the chest, leaping up and back-flipping, landing a twin kick to the faces of the two remaining clones, snapping their necks with a bit of chakra-enhancement to his speed.

Sasuke landed with a flourish, smirking at Zabuza.

"Huh… Not bad, brat," the missing ninja stated. "Haku… Take care of him."

"Yes, Zabuza-sama," Haku stated. With that, the ninja produced two senbon needles and leapt forward, stabbing at Sasuke. Sasuke knocked back the blows, slashing back furiously. Haku evaded or blocked the attacks, back flipping away and throwing additional senbon. Sasuke blocked them, leaping away and landing on the side of the bridge, kicking off and plunging his sword for the missing nin's heart.

Haku leapt away and ran away on the side wall of the bridge, Sasuke pursuing, as Zabuza made his attack against Kakashi.

_Clang!_

"I hope you said goodbye to your student… Because he's not coming back," Zabuza laughed, pulling back and swinging his blade for Kakashi's head. This blow was also blocked by Kakashi's kunai, and the white-haired jounin spun away, making handseals.

"I wouldn't count on it!"

Zabuza grinned beneath the wrappings.

"No one can match Haku! The most skilled Jounin fall before him...just as _you_ will fall before _me!_ RIGHT NOW!" The mist grew even deeper and Zabuza vanished. Kakashi cursed.

"Sakura! Keep Tazuna safe!" Sakura grimaced, but nodded.

"Right!"

"You're not going to throw me into the air again, are you?" Tazuna grumbled. Sakura didn't answer as she herded him off the bridge. She didn't like being surrounded on _two _sides by water-One side would be much better.

Meanwhile, Kakashi moved forward, baring his Sharingan. The chakra drain began in earnest, but the Copy Ninja adjusted his coils to compensate. While the drain was still fairly significant, it would not limit Kakashi's endurance as much as before.

_He's right; it's time to end this_, the jounin thought grimly, _but__he__is the one who will fall!_

Unnoticed by anyone on the bridge, a black crow circled high overhead, yellow eyes on the battle…

Xxx

_I've had some bad mornings, but this…! This is definitely one for the record!_

Naruto rushed out of the house to the sound of Tsunami screaming. The Keyblade had already appeared in his hand, which was as good a sign as any that something _very_ bad was going on.

He'd tracked the screams to the dock near the house, and saw Inari running right at two samurai, holding a bound Tsunami between them. The little boy was screaming as he charged, and the two goons merely grinned, blades coming up to cut down Inari.

Just as they slashed Inari to pieces, however, they found something strange had happened. Tsunami stopped screaming as she saw, instead of the bloody chunks of her son, chopped pieces of a log clattering to the deck.

"You know," began a familiar voice behind the two samurai and single woman, "there are a _lot_ of things I can abide. But killing _kids…_Or hurting _women…"_

The two samurai turned around, to see a single, orange and black clad ninja, growling at them from underneath blond bangs.

"Just _really_ pisses me _off!"_

The samurai felt blades slamming through their backs, and screamed as they were kicked in the heads into the waves on either side of the dock. Inari looked up in awe as Naruto strode forward, dismissing his kage bunshin with a grin as he knelt down and untied Tsunami. The woman hugged her son and Naruto closely, sobbing happily.

When she let go, Naruto turned to Inari and grinned at him.

"You know, that was _really_ dumb… Brave, but dumb. Good work," the blond complimented. Inari grinned.

"Thank you, Naruto-o_nii_-san!"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"No sweat…"

"Naruto, where is your forehead protector?" Tsunami asked. Naruto felt his forehead, and cursed. He searched his pockets, triumphantly retrieving it from his pants.

"Found it!"

Tsunami smiled.

"Well, I have to say Naruto… You look _very_ handsome with it off."

Naruto blinked.

"Really?"

Tsunami laughed.

"Yes, really!"

Naruto shrugged, before tying it onto his right bicep. He grinned as Tsunami nodded encouragingly.

"Thanks Tsunami-_nee_-chan! Now, I've got to get to the bridge!"

And with that, Naruto was off.

He followed the sounds of fighting he heard through the mist to their source, and the first thing he spotted was an undeniably strange sight.

"The _hell?_ Floating… Mirrors?" Naruto mumbled. As he got closer, he could begin to hear Sasuke and another person talking…

_Hey wait… I know that voice…_

Naruto's musings were interrupted as a fireball erupted in the center of the ice mirror dome.

"_Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"_

The fireball hit all of the mirrors, trying to punch through the dome, but to no avail-The mirrors held fast. Naruto kept running, and made several _kage bunshin_, which all leapt through the gaps in the mirrors into the dome.

"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted, as he mentally directed his clones to attack the nearest mirrors. The raven-haired boy was in bad shape, senbon needles sticking out of several spots on his body. His eyes had turned dark red, and glared at Naruto as he approached.

"Oh, _brilliant_. Coming _inside_ the mirrors. _Great_ idea, dead last!"

"Hey pal! Show some gratitude! I came to _save you_ after all!" Naruto retorted. Several _poofs_ alerted him to the fact that his clones had been dispatched, and the blond dodged-rolled forward to avoid a barrage of senbon needles. He looked up and scowled.

_It's the same ninja from before…!_

Indeed, every mirror had one of the 'hunter-ninja' who had spirited Zabuza to safety after their first encounter. Each image began throwing more senbon, and Naruto made several more _kage bunshin_ to try and divide their fire.

Sasuke tiredly tried to deflect several projectiles coming from one side, but more hit him in the back, making him cry out. Naruto put his back to the Uchiha and began spinning the Keyblade at high speed to shield himself and Sasuke from that angle.

"So, any ideas?" Naruto asked.

"Think that Keyblade of yours could punch through one of those mirrors with chakra imbuement?" Sasuke replied, Sharingan eyes narrowed. Naruto frowned.

"Not sure… What have you got in mind?"

"If you can take out enough of this guy's mirrors, I can track his movements and nail the _real_ one," the Uchiha got out. Naruto grinned.

"Gotcha! Leave it to _me_! _Kage Bunshin no jutsu!"_ Half a dozen more Narutos appeared and spun up their Keyblades, spinning them to deflect Haku's projectiles in a circle around their creator and Sasuke. Once all of the clones' Keyblades were powered up with chakra, they shouted and let them go at the same time, driving each weapon deep into one of Haku's mirrors. The original Naruto leapt and struck a random mirror, while Sasuke tried to track down the real Haku.

_Almost… Almost…_ The Uchiha thought, leaping into the air.

_Got him!_

"_Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"_

Another massive fireball left Sasuke's mouth, slamming into a cluster of mirrors Sasuke's Sharingan eyes had tracked the real Haku to. The ice splintered and cracked under the assault, and as the flames died down the senbon barrage stopped.

But not for long, as Naruto's yelp indicated that Haku had escaped _again._ Sasuke cursed and tried to block more needles, but even with the Sharingan he couldn't stop them all.

"OW! DAMNIT!" Sasuke turned around and saw the real Haku among the mirrors facing Naruto, who had already been struck several times. The Sharingan gave Sasuke less of a view of Naruto's chakra pathways so much as his overall chakra signature-And right now, Sasuke could tell Naruto was significantly weakened.

_All that training last night, plus the moves he's had to pull off now…_ Sasuke caught the blurs of several senbon headed for Naruto and _moved._

He raised his _chokuto _to block the projectiles, but the Sharingan showed all too clearly he was late. Sasuke gagged as he felt needles hit his neck and stumbled, blade falling out of his suddenly numb hands. The Uchiha lost his balance as his vision darkened, and could barely feel himself fall into Naruto's arms. The blonde's face looked down worriedly at him.

"SASUKE! _SASUKE_!"

"Damnit, idiot… Don't _scream…_In my face_,"_ Sasuke choked out, taking a shuddering breath. A part of his brain noted that these sensations… His darkening vision…

"C'mon Sasuke, what's wrong? You're not going to let a couple of _needles_ take you out, huh? C'mon!"

Sasuke felt himself be shaken, and managed a wry smile.

"You know… I _hated_ you…"

The shaking stopped, and Sasuke made out Naruto gaping at him in disbelief.

"You… I… _Why_ did you…?"

Sasuke coughed, and felt blood drip out of his mouth. Odd, he kind of thought he should be angry as he felt his heart slow down… Instead he felt this unusual tranquility come over him. Itachi's face flashed in his mind, and a sad chuckle left his lips.

"Because… That man...I swore I wouldn't die until I killed him, my older brother… thought the oath would save me," Sasuke choked out. Naruto's grip tightened and Sasuke had to fight the growing numbness to gasp out:

"But you Naruto...don't you dare die! You've… Still got… A dream…"

"_SASUKE!"_

Darkness.

Xxx

Haku stared down at the blond boy, clutching the Uchiha to him, head bowed in sorrow. She prepared another senbon barrage… But paused. Again, she felt her heart go out to Naruto, and decided to speak from it.

"He found...he found the strength that he didn't realize he had. Why? Because of a certain person who was precious to him. To save that person, he rushed in, knowing it was a trap. He was a true ninja, worthy of honor," she spoke softly, mournfully.

Naruto let go of Sasuke's body, and it slumped to the cold floor of the bridge. He began to shake. Haku spoke again.

"Is this the first time you have seen a comrade die? I'm sorry, but this is part of the shinobi way. I have killed my kind heart to kill your friend… And if you do not withdraw, I will kill you as well."

"Shut _up…_You… You _bastard…_ You _killed_ Sasuke…!" Naruto snarled, and as he did, Haku's chakra senses began to scream something was _not right._ The Keyblade began to glow bright red, as though a flame were consuming it from the blonde's fist gripping its hilt up. As the flames spread, the Keyblade changed shape, the single blade enlarging, widening into a cruel, curved blade. From the hilt sprouted eight smaller, but no less deadly curled blades, two wrapping around Naruto's hand to form a new hilt.

From the pommel of the new Keyblade hung a single chain with a spiraled emblem, which shook as Naruto's aura _flared_ with deadly, red chakra and a horrifying killer intent filled the air. Haku shuddered and held up an arm to shield her face from the backlash, an almost paralyzing fear filling her heart.

_This chakra… It's so dark… I can barely breathe!_

Naruto stood up straight, face becoming visible once more. Haku was shocked to see his formally blue irises burning blood red, the whisker marks on his face deeply defined, and his canines extended and sharpened in his bared, gritted teeth.

_His wounds… They're completely healed…! What_is_this boy?_

"I'LL TEAR YOU APART!" Naruto roared, leaping right for her mirror. Haku leapt to another, barely escaping being sliced in half. Naruto kicked off the remains of that mirror, shattering it, as he continued to follow Haku, smashing and destroying every one with his Keyblade.

_His chakra continues to grow! I must strike now!_ Haku thought desperately.

Xxx

Kakashi paused only for a moment at the familiar chakra spike, and equally familiar killing intent, of the Kyuubi no Kitsune. It was_just_ long enough for Zabuza to nick his arm, and Kakashi cursed at the pain. He leapt away, putting some distance between the two combatants. Zabuza laughed mockingly as the mist obscured him once more. He moved to try another flanking strike on the Konoha jounin.

"What's the matter, Copycat? Worn out already?"

_Damnit… If the seal is breaking… No, it's only a glimmer of the Kyuubi's power. Even so, I need to end this_now, Kakashi thought. _Good a time as any…_

"Zabuza, I don't mean to spoil your fun. I know how you like to stretch these things out, but how about we put an end to this now? Come on, whaddya say? We're both busy people," Kakashi spoke, with a nonchalance he did not feel.

"Hmm...tempting. I'm curious to see how you intend to back up such brave words! Show me, Kakashi!" Zabuza spoke. Kakashi produced a scroll from his pouch, gathering some blood from the wound on his arm and sliding it down on the paper as he unfurled it.

"Gladly… _Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"_ Zabuza felt and heard a rumble that grew stronger. Looking about, the missing nin could see no enemy… Until he _felt_ and heard a gigantic mass explode from the ground behind him. He tried to turn and see what it was, but a massive weight, transferred by two giant paws and an animalistic snarl stopped him. He grimaced as he felt two more eruptions from the ground, and sharp teeth grab his ankles.

"What the-? _Dogs?"_ Zabuza snarled as he looked down. Kakashi smirked under his mask.

"I'm sorry, did you think you were winning? I realized that if I couldn't _see_ you, I'd have to _smell_ you out. That was a summoning jutsu. I was calling forth my ninja hounds. They can track a scent _anywhere_. When you attacked me, I _let_ you get past my guard. I _wanted_ you to cut me. You see, it's the scent of my blood on your blade that led them to you. Surprised? Looks like I'm not the only one who was blind. Falling into my trap. You disappoint me, Zabuza."

Zabuza tried to struggle free, but the large hound on his back gripped his arms more tightly, as did the ones biting into his legs. Zabuza ignored the pain and death glared the leaf ninja.

"You bastard…"

"Aah, the mist is finally clearing. And do you know what I see? Your death!" Kakashi stated. Zabuza snorted.

"Talk, talk! Do you mean to _talk_ me to death?"

"In a way, yes. Right now my hounds are just playing with you, but one word from me and they'll tear you apart!" Kakashi quickly began making handseals.

"Alright, Zabuza, time to finish this, but it won't be with Sharingan, imitations of some other ninja's _tricks_. No, it's time I introduced you to my one and _only_ original jutsu…"

Xxx

Haku emerged from one of her mirrors, trying to hit Naruto from behind, but the enraged ninja spun around and slashed her senbon to pieces. Haku leapt away, forming more senbon and flinging them, but to no avail-Naruto blocked each and every one. Trying to buy more time to think up a counter-attack, Haku leapt back into her mirrors and reformed them, noting grimly that she was almost at her limit.

"You'll pay for this..._I'm gonna kill you!"_ Naruto screamed. He spun up the Keyblade as he had before, the red chakra infusing it with so much chakra it seemed on fire. When it was only a blur Naruto flung it with bestial strength, the weapon blasting right through one of her mirrors and shattering it completely… Before it flashed out of existence and reappeared before another mirror, smashing through it as well before teleporting again, and again. So quickly Haku barely had time to blink, all but one mirror had been shattered into oblivion, and her vision was suddenly filled with the chakra-blazing fist of the blond-

_SMASH!_ Haku was thrown out of her mirror, her head snapping back painfully from the force of the punch. She spun in the air, the blow turning her back to Naruto-And she screamed as she felt a white hot sword blow across her back. She crashed to the pavement of the bridge, shaking in agony, and felt herself being kicked in the ribs. She rolled with the blow, barely avoiding her ribs being shattered, but she was still virtually paralyzed from the waist down. She looked up fearfully as Naruto lifted up his blood-red Keyblade, eyes narrowed in rage…

The red chakra seemed to wink out, and the red flew from Haku's vision. Naruto's red, angry eyes became wide, blue ones. His snarl a gaping mouth. Most telling of all, the Keyblade reverted back to its original, almost comical state.

"Ha… Haku…?" He whispered, shocked. Haku struggled to get up, but found herself stopped by the pain of her injuries. She took a deep breath.

_I have failed you, Zabuza-sama. I am like a weapon that has been broken and is of no further use._

"Naruto… Kill me."

The blond gaped in disbelief. Haku coughed.

"Why'd you stop? I murdered your best friend, can't you kill me?"

Naruto just continued to stare. Haku narrowed her eyes.

"Why do you hesitate? To show mercy to those who oppose the one you serve?"

"I… I just…" Naruto stuttered. Haku's glare grew, and Naruto wondered how she could be so intimidating, lying on the ground, _helpless_ before him.

"To allow his enemies to live, when you could strike them down? This is not compassion; it is a betrayal of your life's very purpose. For what reason do you exist then? You're of use to no one. Your life has no _meaning_. It is mere existence. Day after day, the pain and struggle, signifying nothing."

Naruto growled.

"Speak for yourself, you bitch!"

Haku laughed weakly, sadly.

"Are you really that blind little one? I _am_ speaking of myself. This day has shown that I am no longer of any use to Zabuza."

"Zabuza? Why that guy anyway? To devote your life to some son of a _bitch_ who doesn't know the _meaning_ of the word honor! If he's the one person that really matters to you, man that's the sorriest thing I've ever heard!" Naruto shouted.

Haku sighed.

"There were others that mattered to me… My father, and my mother," she said quietly. Naruto blinked, breath hitched in his throat.

_Her eyes… They're so full of pain…Just like mine…_

"_Hyoton._ That's what they called my bloodline. The senbon, my mirrors… All of my bloodline. A very powerful one. So powerful, the people of my village feared anyone wielding it. My parents died because of my bloodline: My mother because she had hid our bloodline from my father, and my father because he killed my mother, and tried to kill me… After that…" Haku breathed shakily, wincing at the pain that resulted.

"After that… In all the world, there was no one who needed me. I was...unnecessary," she spoke, biting her lip. Naruto was silent. Haku then smiled, sadly.

"Then… Then Zabuza found me. He gave me a purpose… To be his tool, his ultimate weapon. For this… For giving my life meaning, I owe him everything." Haku paused and looked at Naruto, who was staring at her incredulously.

"That's the most ridiculous story I've ever heard! I mean, he treats you like a slave! You're a human being, not a _weapon_ or a _tool_! How can you _care_ about someone like _that_?"

"For that very reason," Haku replied calmly. "Do you find it so strange?"

"Well, yeah!"

"When he found me, I had no one… He gave my life meaning, purpose… But now, my usefulness is over. The only thing that gave my life meaning, it's gone. I am a broken tool, a blunted weapon, of no use to anyone. Go on, Naruto. Do it, for both of our sakes. Do it, quickly."

Naruto took a deep breath, and kneeled down next to her. Haku stared at him.

"I know… I know what it feels like," Naruto said, quietly. "To be… Unnecessary. A monster… They called you that, didn't they? Same with me."

"Because of…? _That_ chakra…?" Haku asked. Naruto nodded grimly.

"And I also… Have people precious to me… Who gave my life meaning…" He sucked in another deep breath. "Just because you failed Zabuza though… It _doesn't_ mean you have no purpose! Maybe you just need to find another one! Another person to _give_ you one!"

Haku laughed bitterly.

"Naruto… Your heart is too bright for its own good."

"So is yours," Naruto retorted. Haku blinked at him questioningly, and Naruto blushed.

"Er… The Keyblade… I don't know how, but its telling me that… That Sasuke's not dead." Naruto smiled sadly.

"You couldn't kill your heart either, huh?"

Haku smiled back, the shared burden lifting the atmosphere if only by a little.

"No… I suppose not…"

The Keyblade flashed out of existence, and Naruto was about to lift Haku up…

"NARUTO!" Naruto jerked at Sakura shouting his name, and he looked up.

Behind him, Naruto saw Sakura holding Sasuke, tears flowing from her eyes, as Tazuna stood awkwardly nearby, guilt all over his aged face.

"I'm sorry," the old man began. Naruto coughed.

"It's okay, he's alive and-!" The blond trailed off as the mist cleared, revealing the rest of the bridge. On the bank nearby, two figures stood, confronting each other. Zabuza, being restrained by several large dogs, and Kakashi staring him down, lightening crackling from his right hand.

But on the bridge itself stood several men, all lead by a small, squat fellow with sunglasses. Haku's breath hitched, and Naruto looked questioningly at her.

"It's Gato," she whispered. Naruto shuddered as he felt something… _Wrong_, dark, with the sneering man, all the way from here. The Keyblade appeared back in his hand as he watched and listened.

Gato spoke to Zabuza about how he was hoping he'd find him dead, stating that the Demon of the Mist had become a liability. He then said that he'd brought these men with him to take down Zabuza and Tazuna, and get the Keyblade, for a much lower price. Gato at last leered at Naruto and Haku on their section of the bridge, and spoke the final straw.

"I was hoping to find your tool alive, Zabuza… She and I will have some _fun_ before I off her for good," he chuckled. Naruto snarled, but before he could act…

"Kakashi! I say we call a truce," Zabuza shouted. The copy ninja nodded, the electricity fading from his hand, and with a whistle the ninja hounds backed off. Zabuza stood shakily, his arms limp at his sides.

"Sorry, my dogs paralyzed your arms," Kakashi stated apologetically. Zabuza shook his head.

"Never mind that, just give me a damned weapon!"

Kakashi tossed him a kunai, which Zabuza caught by biting through his face wrappings and catching it in his teeth. With that, Zabuza rushed the mob, slashing his way through.

"Zabuza-sama!" Haku cried out as he vanished into the crowd, but even from here Naruto could tell the missing nin was not faring well. The henchmen turned and converged on him, ignoring their fallen comrades and vanished into the mist. For a few moments, there was only the sound of weapons clashing and men screaming…

Then, a LOT more screaming. Gato's men began running out of the fog bank, panicking as they leapt into the river, clambered up the bridge supports, or rushed to the bank.

The reason soon became apparent, as a massive black blob emerged from the mist, yellow eyes narrowed over a sickeningly familiar smile.

"_You didn't think it'd be THAT easy, did you? You pitiful insects!"_ Roared the massive Heartless in a distorted version of Gato's voice. Long, grasping claws emerged from the mass, pulling it along as it crushed or ripped apart numerous henchmen. A long, blue tongue snapped out of the thing's mouth like a frog's, snagging more men and bringing them screaming into Gato's mouth.

Naruto ran ahead, ignoring Sakura's shouts, and stood at his sensei's side. Kakashi glanced at him with a frown under his mask.

"Naruto, go back. I'll handle this."

"Kakashi-sensei, trust me when I say I know what I'm doing," Naruto said grimly.

Kakashi sighed.

"Fine… Use _Kage bunshin_ to draw his attention. I'll take him out."

Naruto nodded, and formed a handseal.

"_Kage Bunshin no jutsu!"_

_Amazing,_ Kakashi thought, seeing the dozen Narutos standing at the ready, Keyblades held in a ready position.

_He can still make that many even now?_

"CHARGE!" The lead Naruto shouted, and they did, rushing Gato. The monster grinned and whipped out his tongue, catching a Naruto and drawing it into its mouth. The rest of the Narutos continued attacking, so Kakashi assumed it was only a clone. He made hand seals again, his palm filled with lightening once more. With the Sharingan at the ready, Kakashi charged the monster, Naruto's clones keeping Gato's claws occupied.

"_RAIKIRI!"_ Kakashi roared, slamming the Lightening Blade through the Gato monster's head. The monster screamed and reared back, beginning to shake as smoke poured from the gaping hole in its forehead. Kakashi prepared a fire jutsu, but found he didn't have to. A familiar silver key slashed through the top of the monster, followed by an equally familiar orange-clad ninja.

"TAKE _THIS_!" Naruto shouted, leaping up and plunging the length of the Keyblade through the monster's body. He dragged it down Gato's face and leapt away, as Gato shook and wobbled like a giant, black gelatin mold. A massive, glowing heart-shaped object burst from Gato and rose into the misty air, vanishing, as the rest of the beast dissolved into shadow, leaving the corpse of the mafia boss lying in a sad heap before them.

For a moment, the two shinobi simply stared at the empty bridge.

"You _let_ yourself get eaten?" Kakashi asked, incredulously. Naruto shrugged and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"It worked, didn't it?"

The sounds of cheering reached them, and Naruto and Kakashi turned to see a mob of villagers, applauding them wildly. Naruto grinned and laughed happily, thrusting his Keyblade into the air in victory, while Kakashi merely eye smiled.

In all the noise, it was understandable that no one noticed that Haku had vanished from the bridge. Unable to find a trace, Kakashi suggested they let her go-Sasuke still had to recover, the bridge wasn't finished yet and Zabuza deserved a proper burial at least.

Naruto agreed, though he couldn't help staring at the place Haku had laid, Keyblade in hand…

Xxx

Some distance away, leaping through the trees, a trio of ninja was moving as quickly as they could away from the bridge battle. All three wore forehead protectors marked with a single musical note, but there the similarities mostly ended.

One resembled nothing so much as a mummy wearing a long, fur coat, his head heavily bandaged to the point only one eye was revealed. His hunched back completed the illusion of some kind of deformed beast, long sleeves waving from his arms.

The second male wore grey camouflaged pants and a black T-shirt, with a purple scarf around his neck. His eyes were beady and his hair messy and brown, and his face seemed locked in a permanent smirk.

The third, and only female (aside from their prisoner) wore camouflage pants and a green, sleeveless top, a gray scarf wrapped around her neck. Her long, luxurious black hair was tied with a simple bow, and waved behind her like the tail of a dolphin. Her face might have been called pretty, if not for the irritated scowl on it.

"Ugh… Why do we have to carry her anyway?" The kunoichi complained, Haku slung over her shoulder like a bag of vegetables.

The mummy rolled his one visible eye at his comrade's complaints, while the brown-haired ninja just smirked as the girl grunted.

"You lost. You carry," the spiky haired boy retorted. The girl with long black hair scowled.

"You cheated!"

"How do you cheat at _Jan Ken Po?"_ The mummy asked, amused.

"You-I-You cheated! You _had_ to!" The girl hissed. The spiky haired boy held up a hand, and the trio paused in the trees.

"We're here," he stated, eyes locked onto the form of a black crow. The bird cawed, yellow eyes boring into the three ninja with a surprising intensity. The girl looked away, wincing in secret.

A door in the air opened, dark energies swirling and coalescing around it. With a grunt, the kunoichi leaped forward, sliding the unconscious Haku into her arms. As gently as she could, the kunoichi set Haku into the portal, before pushing her in. The door closed, vanishing as though it had never existed. The crow was gone too.

"C'mon, let's go. Job's done," the spiky haired boy stated. The mummified boy was already about to head out. The kunoichi stood on her tree branch, as though frozen.

"Kin! Move it!" The spiky haired boy barked. The girl shook her head and scowled at the boy.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" She growled, taking off after her teammates.

Unnoticed, a black figure stood in the trees, the crow sitting on her shoulder.

"Well… He kept his end of the bargain," the figure noted. She laughed quietly, looking towards the bridge. Her keen senses could hear and feel the jubilation of the people, celebratory cheers in the air.

"Savor your victory for today," Maleficent smiled. "Savor it… And continue."

A burst of green fire later, and she was gone.

Xxx

_Two weeks later…_

Kakashi sighed, rubbing the back of his head. Sasuke and Sakura stood near him, at the bank before the first leg of the now completed bridge. A number of townspeople, Tazuna and his family included, were gathered to say goodbye to Team 7.

However, they were missing someone.

"Damnit, where is that idiot," Sasuke muttered angrily. Sakura looked at Kakashi curiously, and the jounin shrugged.

"I have an idea…"

"Can't you go get him then?" Sakura asked.

"He probably needs to be alone for a while…" Kakashi thought it over. "But, couldn't hurt to get him. I'll be right back."

Kakashi left and easily tracked down Naruto to a cliff overlooking the sea. The blond boy stood in silence, staring at the huge sword planted at the head of Zabuza's grave.

"Naruto?"

Naruto didn't acknowledge him, he just continued to stare at the sword. Silently, Kakashi walked over and stood next to him. The boy took a deep breath, seemingly sorting out his thoughts.

"She said she was a tool for Zabuza… His weapon." Kakashi nodded and sighed.

"Its part of the ninja way. We are to be tools, weapons, for whoever commands us. We don't ask questions, we merely do what we must."

Naruto frowned and looked up at his teacher.

"Do you believe that?"

Kakashi gave an amused huff, and shook his head.

"No… I don't. Even shinobi, after all, are human…"

Naruto turned back to the sword, and smiled.

"Well then… That settles it. From now on, I'll find my own way of the ninja. A way that's true to myself, and to my heart." The Keyblade flashed into existence in his hand, and he held it up to shine in the morning sun with a grin.

"To live without regrets, and to never back down from a promise… That'll be my ninja way…"

Kakashi smiled, shaking his head at his most surprising student, before they both turned and walked to the bridge.

Naruto looked back at the rising sun as Kakashi lead him away. _Am I really as strong as you say? Aqua..._

Xxx

"Haku… Haku… Dearie, wake up…"

Haku blearily opened her eyes, a stone roof coming into focus. Scattered memories and images darted in her mind, and as though directed from the outside, they came into alignment. She felt a smooth shale table under her back, supporting her in the middle of the cavern. It was her room, given to her by…

She looked to her side and saw a familiar, smirking, light purplish face. It was female, with chubby cheeks and artful makeup, underneath a mop of pure white hair that floated in the water.

"Yes, Mistress Ursula?" Haku replied, running a hand through her loose black hair. Out of habit she looked down, checking her body. Only the usual scars across her pale skin and deep blue tail. She flicked her flippers just to make sure.

"I was worried! You _really_ shouldn't practice so hard!" The sea witch said smoothly, running a perfectly manicured claw down her cheek. Haku smiled self-deprecatingly, and ascended with a kick of her fins.

"I'm sorry, Mistress. Is there anything I can do?" Everything fell into place for Haku, nothing out of turn. She was pleased she had not fallen too far behind on her training, being Ursula's apprentice was very demanding and-

_-A blonde boy with blue eyes peered down at her, a soft, sad smile on his face-_

Haku blinked.

"Haku, dear? Are you _sure_ you're all right?" Ursula asked, oozing sympathy. Haku shook her head and smiled.

"Yes, Mistress. Please excuse me."

The mermaid swam off, leaving a smirking Ursula behind. The sea witch rubbed her hands together.

_It worked, even better than I imagined! I must hand it to Maleficent… And that Orochimaru fellow…_

"Everything, according to plan," the sea witch cackled quietly.

Xxx

**And thus the end of another three part post for you the readers. I hope you all enjoyed this and please remember to read and review. Be ready for the next installment soon!**

_Preview for Chapter Eleven:_

"_Oh, BIG mistake, emo boy…"_


	11. Mornings filled with Meetings

_**llIVoice of Destiny/Inner Sakura**_

"Normal Talking"

_Thoughts/Sound Effects_

"_Flashback dialogue/Japanese/Emphasis of words"_

"**Demon speak"**

_A fanfiction originally by Andrew J. Talon and redone & continued by NanashiX_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Kingdom Hearts, Disney, or any other copyrighted material. The story idea, concept, and original are owned by Andrew Joshua Talon. The continuation is mine and I do this out of pure enjoyment and my love of the story. Note that I edit and add any elements that will benefit my continuation. If you the reader who has read the original feel that you wanted something different, now is the opportune time to tell me via Review or PM. Thank you for reading._

**AN: I decided to put together the old chapters of KtTH 11 and 12 together. Seemed appropriate seeing as how they are essentially around the same time and for me the end of 11 was just too abrupt. Okay now readers of the original, here is where I start to make some changes that you may notice. It's gonna get a different feel so be ready.**

Key Through the Heart: Rebirth

* * *

><p>Naruto walked on a familiar platform, standing once more in a vast, black abyss. He looked around curiously, eyes scanning for something, anything… But there was nothing.<p>

"Aw damn, not again," he mumbled, the Keyblade flashing into existence in his hand once more.

"Um… Voice? Hello? Voice, you there?"

"So, you made it," a smooth, silky voice startled Naruto, making him jump. He turned around, jaw dropping at the sight before him.

The woman looked about Ayame's age, with pale, deathly-white skin that emphasized the fiery red hair hanging down from her head to her waist. It spilled over her voluptuous figure, barely encased in a skin-tight black kimono.

But her face… The woman's eyes were blood red and feline, while her cheeks were defined by whisker marks, just like his own. Naruto tried to form words, but none came to mind.

"Tell me, brat… How did you like that taste I gave you?" She asked, her melodic voice curling around him like steel chains, wrapped in silk. This woman had _power_, that much was obvious to the blond ninja.

"T-Taste?" He murmured back nervously, as the woman licked her lips with a feral smile.

"Yes… _Taste…_ A mere _drop_ of my power… Through that weapon you wield…" She held out her hand, long, razor sharp fingers opening. A red flash of light, and Naruto's eyes widened. The woman held out a Keyblade… But it was that bright red, _cruel_ one that had seemed to burn.

Even now, he could feel pain, as though sparks were nipping at his heart. The woman held out the red Keyblade and smiled languidly.

"Take it," she crooned. "Take it… It can make all your dreams come true… _Anything_ you want, will be at your fingertips…"

Naruto felt his hand rise of his own volition… The curved, scarlet Keyblade inched closer… closer…

_CLANG!_

"GAH!" The woman cried out, holding her empty hand with a pained hiss. In Naruto's hands was his Keyblade, shining in it's humble glory. The blond smirked.

"You think I don't know who you are… Kyuubi?" The woman snarled, her eyes glowing red.

"**Fool… You would deny my power? For what? That paltry **_**stick**_** you carry?"**

"You tried to wipe out my village! You've made my life a living hell! Plus, I _know_ what I felt when I was using your chakra! I'm not about to let you have control over _my_ life!" Naruto bellowed.

"You have _more_ than enough already!"

The Kyuubi smirked.

"**Very well, brat. Just be warned… You cannot escape me. And there **_**will**_** be another time when you need my power… "** She was instantly gone, and the Keyblade refused to warn Naruto of her presence… Even as he felt hot breath against his ear that made him shiver.

"**And someday… You **_**will**_** be mine…"**

_CRASH!_

"_OW! SON OF A-!"_

Naruto grimaced. He'd fallen, tangled in the sheets (again) to the floor. With a sigh he summoned the Keyblade and glared at the weapon.

"Am I _ever_ going to get a good night's sleep with _you_ around?!"

* * *

><p>Nara Shikamaru was among the laziest of Konoha ninja (he wouldn't contest it-too troublesome). At the same time, he was also among the most observant. There were few things that attracted his curiosity like puzzles, for the simple reason that if they were solved, things were much simpler.<p>

And right now, the puzzle facing him was one Yamanaka Ino.

First, she becomes more serious about training than she did in the academy, when before she had no desire to ("Sasuke-kun doesn't like butch women!"). This led to her to nag Chouji and himself nearly unrelentingly. Shikamaru occasionally humored her and whipped out his shadows, while Chouji tried to catch her with his family jutsus, but she was _never satisfied._

Granted, this was not very unusual in of itself, but the reasons Ino had for nagging had changed significantly.

Finally, she had taken to practicing in the woods, alone, and during the meetings after missions-Always with that unusual quarterstaff she'd begun carrying around.

If figuring out the puzzle that was Yamanaka Ino's recent behavior (Shikamaru had long ago decided that trying to resolve the _entire_ Ino puzzle, along with the puzzle of women in general, was impossible) would allow him to get some peace, then by God he was going to figure it out.

This was why Shikamaru had decided to spoil a perfectly good afternoon to follow the blonde out into the woods. Despite her busy-body nature, he noted with a smirk, she really had bad situational awareness.

The clearing she was in was near some of the main training grounds, but extremely isolated. She'd taken out her staff and seemed to be meditating with it. Shikamaru frowned, and settled in for a long wait.

_So troublesome…_

"_Sleep_," said a small, child-like voice. Shikamaru tried to turn and see who had spoken, but his brain decided that the command was a very good one to obey…

* * *

><p>"Hmph, thought he could sneak up on me," Ino said with a grin, as Vivi used his Float ability to bring himself and Shikamaru to the ground, gently setting the boy onto the ground. The blonde looked over her team mate with a smirk, and stuck out her tongue.<p>

"Nyah!"

"C'mon, this is serious," Vivi protested. "What if he finds out about me?"

"Vivi-sensei, I know he looks, well… Lazy, but he just so happens to be brilliant. He'd figure it out eventually… We just need to make sure he only finds out what I _want_ him to find out," she emphasized. Vivi nodded thoughtfully, stepping over the snoozing boy with the odd hair, and he and Ino walked over to the center of the clearing.

"Now then, the Sleep spell is not very difficult to master," Vivi began his lecture, as Ino paid rapt attention. "It can be used against multiple targets or single targets at once, depending on how much magic-_chakra_-you put into it. Unfortunately, I already have a huge resistance to that spell, so practicing it on me won't be very useful."

"So, what do I do?" Ino asked. Vivi looked over at Shikamaru, and shrugged.

"Well, you're the one who said he'd find out eventually…"

"Oh, like he'd _consent_ to being my training dummy," she huffed. "Besides, I wanted this stuff to be a surprise for the next Chuunin exams!"

"Chuunin exams?" Vivi asked curiously. Ino turned serious.

"It's a huge test and tournament to decide who gets promoted to the next ninja rank, Chuunin. It's very tough and lots of people die every time it's taken."

"And I thought the Festival of the Hunt was bad," Vivi murmured thoughtfully, but shook his head. "So, you go through this exam with your team?"

Ino nodded.

"Then maybe you should reveal your abilities soon enough for you all to learn how to fight _as_ a team. You said Shikamaru's brilliant? Then he can probably figure out how to use your new powers a lot more effectively than I can," Vivi concluded.

Ino frowned.

"But… Vivi-sensei, you know the abilities! All these jutsu! Sorry, _spells,"_ she corrected as usual at his look. The black mage sighed and shook his head.

"Yes, but he knows this world. I don't."

The blonde sighed as well, looking over at her snoring teammate and friend thoughtfully.

"… Fair enough… How do I wake him up?"

"Just hit him… Or use a damaging spell on him," Vivi advised. His eyes widened at the evil smile that appeared on Ino's face.

"H-Hey! Hold on!"

"Look, just do that jutsu-_spell, _sorry- that makes yourself invisible." The sky above had already begun to turn dark as Ino concentrated. Vivi sighed.

"_Vanish_," he muttered, thankful that Quina had taught him this ability of hers before… Everything. He activated his Float power at the same time and ascended to a safe altitude. Over the weeks he'd been teaching Ino, he had to say he was impressed. She'd mastered most of the lower-level spells he knew, and because of her more flexible magical signature she'd learned some of the White magic he'd picked up from Eiko and Garnet (though these were just status-inducing spells, like Blind). He felt great pride in her, a pride he decided that was associated with being a teacher.

"_THUNDER_!"

_CRACKA-BOOM!_

"YEOW!"

Of course, he noted with a mental sigh, he also felt exasperation with her. Maybe that was part of being a teacher too…

* * *

><p>"So, let me get this straight… You were sick of not being trained by Asuma, so you found this old scroll on… What was it called again?" Shikamaru asked, surprisingly calm despite being zapped by lightening. Ino had been laughing too hard to answer his angry demands of what had happened. He sighed as he ran a hand through his now spiky, static-filled hair.<p>

_Troublesome girl…_

"Hee hee… Uh, 'object focusing jutsus'," Ino got out with only a mild giggle. She bit her lip, but still couldn't look directly at Shikamaru and his afro without breaking into guffaws.

"Essentially, that staff shapes your chakra into a preset form for a particular jutsu?" Shikamaru asked. Ino nodded, still resolutely looking at Shikamaru's feet as they stood in the field.

"Yes, but I can also shape it in different ways, by remembering how I shaped it on other staves for other jutsus," she replied. Shikamaru sighed.

"_Tch_, troublesome…"

"Look, I'm sorry for hiding it but you guys weren't exactly helping!" Ino retorted. "How are we going to survive the exams if we don't get our act together?!"

"You could have told us sooner! Preferably _without_ blasting me with a lightning bolt!" Shikamaru replied, annoyed. Ino sighed.

"But… Since arguing more over it would be _more_ troublesome, I say we just move on. Drama is stupid," the genius surmised. Ino smiled brilliantly at him.

"Thank you, Shikamaru!"

"Now then… You're going to tell Asuma sensei about everything you can and _have_ been doing. And I'll… Train with you," Shikamaru got out with a grimace. He _hated_ training.

"How much?"

"Just during team meetings. You'll have to do the rest on your own," Shikamaru said flatly. Ino shrugged.

"Yeah, fine, whatever… So, want to see what I can do?"

Shikamaru sighed.

"Too troublesome. It'd be better to do it with the team so you don't have to repeat yourself," he said. Ino snorted.

"Lazy bum."

"Troublesome girl."

"Do I have to strike you with lightning again?"

"I'd much prefer that sleep jutsu of yours, it's the most useful ability of yours I've seen," Shikamaru replied honestly.

_WHACK!_

"OW!"

"BASTARD!" Ino shrieked.

* * *

><p>Naruto got out of his bed, cleaned up and headed to his kitchen for his usual breakfast of ramen and red bean paste. He sat down to it and began to happily slurp up ramen.<p>

"Yo."

"DAH!" Naruto cried out in shock, flinging his chopsticks at the source of the noise. An amused Kakashi caught them between his fingers.

"Morning, Naruto!"

The blond glared at his sensei.

"What the hell are you doing here, Kakashi-sensei?!"

"Maa maa, is that any way to greet your teacher? Here," Kakashi replied, handing over a basket of fruits and vegetables. Naruto glared suspiciously at it.

"I hate vegetables! They always taste bad!"

"This is fresh. And besides, it's not healthy to only eat ramen. A ninja must be in good health, after all," the jounin explained. Naruto took an apple out of the basket and sniffed it suspiciously. He took a bite, and chewed it thoughtfully. His eyebrows rose.

"Huh... It's... Sweet. And not rotten!"

Kakashi eye smiled at that.

"Knew you'd like it. Well, see you at seven o'clock, sharp."

Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Which really means eleven o'clock, right?"

"Maa... More or less," the Copy Ninja replied, vanishing as silently as he'd arrived. Naruto stuck his tongue out after his sensei, and set into his breakfast.

_Man, why didn't anyone tell me fresh fruit tasted so good? _Naruto wondered, eagerly devouring the fruit alongside his ramen. He then dressed and leapt out of the window, landing easily and walking along the street at a sedate pace.

Ever since they'd returned from their C-Rank mission turned A, Team Seven had been taking D-Rank missions again. Babysitting, trash clean up, the same old same old. Though they'd certainly been getting a lot of requests for birthday parties. Probably because of Naruto's ball act. After all, Sakura-chan (though still wonderful in his eyes) sucked hard at magic tricks, and Sasuke was the worst clown he'd ever seen.

Admittedly, he couldn't stop laughing when he caught sight of him, but that was probably because he _knew_ Sasuke.

He soon caught sight of Hinata, walking through the village proper. The blond grinned and waved.

"Heya, Hinata-chan!" The blue-haired girl turned and blushed at the sight of him, but managed a smile.

"N-Naruto-kun! It's nice to see you..."

"Same here! So, how have you been?" Naruto began walking alongside Hinata, to which she turned a little redder but stayed strong. She was happy to see him again, happy to have him back, happy to have him _talking_ to her. She wouldn't get nervous now.

"Oh, um, good. My team has been on s-several missions already," she said softly. Naruto nodded.

"That's cool. My team was on a C-Rank mission, that turned A-Rank on us."

Hinata's pale eyes widened just a bit at this.

"A-A-Rank? Are you okay? What happened?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head with a smile.

"Um, some missing nin, and other assorted things... But it turned out fine.. In the end," he said, his face becoming a bit sad. His thoughts turned to Haku. What had happened to her? Was she all right? Did she... Did she find new meaning to her life? Or, after seeing Zabuza's death, had she...?

Hinata frowned at Naruto's unhappy expression, and moved a bit closer. He looked to her, and she blushed even harder at the proximity but powered on.

"Um... Naruto-kun... If... If you'd like to talk about it... W-Well... I'm always willing to listen."

Naruto blinked at her, and smiled. Not his full blown grin, but a softer, and slightly more honest smile. It made Hinata's heart flutter.

"I'd... I'd like that," Naruto said quietly. "Thanks, Hinata-chan."

He turned and waved goodbye, which Hinata managed to weakly return.

"I'll see you later, Hinata-chan! Let's have ramen sometime!"

"O-Okay!" Hinata squeaked, smiling dreamily. _Ramen with Naruto-kun... Like... Like a date? A date?!_

She felt faint...

"Oy, Hinata-chan!"

"Eep!" She squeaked, spinning around. She saw her teammates staring at her. Shino with his usual impassive look, Akamaru barking and wagging his tail happily at her, and Kiba glaring after Naruto.

"Uh, h-hello, Kiba-kun, Shino-kun, Akamaru," she returned warmly.

"Hey, was that idiot Naruto bothering you?" Kiba growled. Hinata shook her head.

"N-No, no he wasn't..."

"Okay, but let me know if he does," Kiba smirked. "I'll kick the crap out of him!"

At Hinata's slightly horrified expression, Shino decided to intervene.

"We should probably hurry. Kurenai-sensei said she had something important to tell us today."

Kiba grinned.

"It's probably the Chuunin Exams! She said that we're ready, didn't she? This'll be awesome!"

"That may be likely, however, you should not take such an offer likely. The Exams will doubtlessly be extremely dangerous," Shino opined. Hinata tapped her fingers together as they walked to the training ground they usually met at.

"Um, but Shino-kun, would Kurenai-sensei really enter us if she didn't think us ready?"

"Most likely not, but it does not mean we should drop our guard," the Aburame replied. Kiba laughed cockily.

"C'mon Shino! We'll mop the floor with the competition! Isn't that right Akamaru?"

The white dog barked in agreement.

"Arf!"

* * *

><p>Sasuke ran through his forms, like he'd done every morning ever since he'd gotten his sword. Its balanced weight merged with his movements perfectly. He was one with his blade, and with the Sharingan active he could direct every thrust and kick and lunge with artful precision.<p>

_It still… Wasn't… Enough!_

His rage grew, echoing in his movements. He'd fought so hard, even unlocked his bloodline, but in the end, he'd had to be _saved…_

_That damn dead last… How the hell did he get that weapon? How'd he beat Haku?!_

_Why couldn't I beat her?!_

Another sore point with Sasuke was that he'd been beaten by a _girl._ Admittedly, a powerful kunoichi, but _still…_ It was another blow to his already battered pride.

Slash, parry, lunge, deflect…

Jump, kick, slash, flip, spin…

"_Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"_

Sasuke threw his sword at the same time he blew the fireball, and with the chakra wire attached to the end of it the flames followed, catching up to and twisting around the blade, transforming the whole thing into a giant, fiery comet.

_KABOOM!_

The projectile slammed into the training post, utterly decimating it and blowing a several meter-wide crater out of the ground.

Sasuke landed, panting only slightly. He tugged on the wire attached to his sword and it sprang up through the smoke, landing easily in his hand. The Uchiha smirked.

"Now, all it needs is a name," he murmured thoughtfully. He noticed how his shadow was cast by the sun above, and sighed.

"I'll be late…" He muttered, sheathing his sword. He turned and leapt over the wall of the Uchiha quarter, setting out for the training field.

* * *

><p>"Naruto! Hey, Naruto!"<p>

The blond looked up and spotted the familiar form of Tenten, waving at him from the front of her shop. He smiled and waved back, mindful of the glares of the people around them.

"Uh, hey Tenten!"

The bunned-girl noticed the glares, but paid them little mind as she walked over to Naruto with a smile.

"How goes it?"

"Not bad, you?" The girl sighed, popping her neck.

"Gai-sensei's had us training nearly non-stop. He's entering us in the Chuunin exams this year."

"Chuunin Exams huh?" Naruto asked. Tenten raised an eyebrow.

"Where have _you_ been? It's starting in only a week!"

"A _week?!_ Oh man! I completely forgot!" Naruto cursed. "It's just that, my team was off in Wave Country for a while and-"

"Wait…Wave Country? You mean _you_ were mixed up in that Gato business?" Tenten asked, wide-eyed. Naruto grinned.

"So you've heard?"

"Hard not to, once we started getting business from them again," Tenten explained. She smiled. "Most of the gossip lately has been about the new, Great Naruto Bridge."

"_Naruto_ bridge?" The blond asked, grinning in delight. "OH YEAH! The old man named it after me! I knew he would! I knew it!"

Naruto began to do an odd victory dance, taking a bemused Tenten's hands and spinning her around happily. She laughed at his child-like exuberance.

"Now now, Naruto! Don't get so cocky!"

"I'm _not!_ But I've got a _bridge_ named after me!" Naruto cheered. "Soon, I'll have a whole _constellation_ named for me, just you wait!"

"Constellation? Who'd name a constellation after _you?"_ Tenten teased. Naruto smirked.

"Some poor, defenseless princess, who _just_ so happens to be the head of the… Uh… Constellation Naming Council!" The blond announced, leading Tenten to giggle.

"Tenten!" Barked an older male voice. The two genin stopped their silly dance and looked back. A tall, brown-haired man in blacksmith's gear glared at Naruto.

"Get back in here, the forge needs cleaning," he said flatly. Tenten sighed, but smiled at Naruto. The blond nervously smiled back.

"Aw well… See you later, Naruto," she said, before turning and heading back in. Her father glared at Naruto, who smiled weakly back. He walked over to the blond and spoke in a harsh whisper.

"Just stay away from her, _demon,"_ he hissed, before turning and storming back into the store. Naruto glared back, before sighing and heading off.

_Swell… When we meet again, she'll probably think I'm a demon too,_ he thought sadly, though he got his grin back up when he reached the training field.

"Morning, Sakura-chan!" He shouted happily. The pink-haired girl glared at him.

"YOU'RE LATE!"

"Er… Well…" Naruto began. Sasuke smirked very slightly behind the girl, and Naruto stuck his tongue out at the Uchiha before smiling brightly at Sakura.

"Ah, well, you see Sakura-chan, I had to dance with this girl and-"

"LIAR! Honestly, you're getting as bad as Kakashi-sensei!" She huffed. Naruto smirked.

"Or maybe he really _is_ late all the time because of the reasons he says?" The blond suggested. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Hmph… I didn't think you were _that_ dumb, Dead last," he said.

"Oh, big, _big_ mistake emo boy," Naruto returned, feral smile on his face. "You don't want to get your _butt_ kicked by me again, right Sasuke-chan?"

Sasuke sent a glare and blast of killing intent that made Sakura shiver, but Naruto just smirked into it. The Keyblade flashed into his hand.

"Bring it, bastard!"

"Don't get cocky, dead last!"

"Ahem," Kakashi interrupted. The genin looked up at Kakashi sitting in a tree branch above them. He eye-smiled.

"You know, I _was_ about to hand you these forms," the jounin mused, holding up a few pieces of paper, "for entrance to the Chuunin Exams, but now…"

"Ch-Chuunin Exams?" Sakura asked nervously. "Kakashi-sensei, you _really_ think we're ready for that?"

"Well, I _did,_ until I saw how _immature_ you all were acting," Kakashi went on airily. A shared look between Naruto and Sasuke put their rivalry on hold for the moment. They looked at Kakashi, determined.

"C'mon Kakashi-sensei! We _can_ do it!" Naruto insisted.

"Yes," Sasuke added. Sakura nervously put in her two cents.

"Um, I think… I think that, together, we might…"

"Well, I'll leave it up to you," Kakashi shrugged, tossing them the papers, which they each caught effortlessly. "No other missions for today, I'll see you next week if you decide to sign up!"

And with that, the silver-haired jounin vanished. Naruto grinned.

"All right, day off! Sakura-chan, want to go do something?"

"Heck no! Um, Sasuke-kun?"

"No," Sasuke replied shortly, walking off. Naruto sighed and shrugged.

"Oh well, can't win 'em all…"

Naruto heard something behind him, and stiffened. He swung around, Keyblade pointed at his foe…

Which happened to be a box, painted to look like a rock. He sighed.

"Konohamaru, rocks _aren't square…"_

_BOOM!_ The box erupted into smoke, leaving three coughing eight-year olds before him.

"As expected of my rival!" Konohamaru grinned, revealing the gap in his teeth, as he shot up dramatically. "Prepare for trouble!"

"And make it, er… Triple!" A little girl added in.

"To protect the world from devastation!" A glasses-wearing boy sniffled.

"And unite all peoples within our nation!" Konohamaru declared.

"To fight for the virtues of truth and love!" The girl sang.

"To extend our reach to the stars above!" The other boy wheezed again.

"Moegi!" The girl struck a pose.

"Udon!" The glasses-wearing boy mirrored her.

"Konohamaru!" The leader declared.

"Konohamaru Corps, blast off at the speed of light!" They all shouted. "Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"…" Was Sakura and Naruto's reaction, blinking. Konohamaru grinned.

"What do you think of it?"

"I'm still trying to figure out what _it_ is," Sakura muttered, as Naruto laughed sheepishly.

"Er, Konohamaru… Guys… How did you come up with that… Whatever it was?"

"Television!" They chorused. Naruto and Sakura sweatdropped.

"_Knew_ that thing only caused trouble," Naruto muttered.

* * *

><p>"So, how do you know Naruto anyway?" Sakura asked Konohamaru, as the group walked for the main area of the town. The pink-haired girl decided to learn a little more about Naruto, but only because of the strange changes he'd gone through lately.<p>

_**Yeah, he can't hold a candle to Sasuke-kun!**_ Inner Sakura added helpfully. Both Sakuras studiously avoided thinking about how Naruto had shown them more care and thoughtfulness than Sasuke ever had, and that he'd beaten Haku when Sasuke couldn't, even with his bloodline...

"Oh, he helped teach me how to _henge_!" Konohamaru said happily. "Plus, he beat my jounin instructor!"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head modestly, grinning.

"It wasn't very hard, once I figured out his weakness," the blond laughed and winked at Konohamaru. The Hokage's grandson winked and grinned back. Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Um, what was his weakness?"

"Oh, that's easy!" Moegi began, ignorant of the looks of horror emerging on Konohamaru and Naruto's faces. "He just used his Har-MMPH!"

Naruto coughed and smiled as Sakura narrowed her eyes, Moegi's mouth covered by Konohamaru's hand.

"Used his _what_...?" Sakura growled dangerously, pulling on her trusty leather gloves. Naruto laughed nervously again.

"Nothing, Sakura-chan! Absolutely _nothing_!"

Udon wisely stayed silent, as Moegi finally pried Konohamaru's hand off her face, blushing a bit.

"Yes! Nothing! He didn't use Harem no jutsu!" Moegi's eyes widened and her hands slapped over her mouth on top of Konohamaru's, but it was too late. Sakura snarled, cracking her knuckles.

"You... Showed three _innocent, impressionable _kids, your _perverted jutsu?!"_

_"_Um, well, eh heh, c'mon Sakura-chan! It's really useful and-RUN AWAY!" The blond screamed, grabbing Moegi's hand and taking off at full speed, Konohamaru and Udon right behind them, as the furious Sakura chased after them.

"YOU PERVERT! I'M GOING TO BREAK EVERY BONE IN YOUR BODY!"

"WAAAAAAHHHH! SAKURA-CHAN, HAVE MERCYYYY!"

Konohamaru pulled ahead, eyes closed. Sure, Naruto was his boss, but really! _He_ pissed off the scary girl, why did he have to bring _them _into it?

_WHAM!_

_"_OOF!" Konohamaru groaned, and looked up at the black thing he'd run into. Glaring down at him was a face painted in purple lines, framed by a black cowl with two large points on either side.

"Watch where you're going, runt," the creature growled, and grabbed Konohamaru by the front of his shirt and lifting him up.

"Hey! Let me go you freak!" The little boy cried, struggling feebly. The black-clad man laughed mockingly, his hood lifting up just enough to show a hitai-ate. On it was an hourglass shape, identifying him as a ninja of Sunagakure. It reflected Konohamaru's frightened face, as the ninja's cruel smile grew.

"Oh, what are you going to do? Cry to your mommy?"

_FLASH! _A metal blade appeared at the side of his head, and the black-clad man turned his head, gaping a bit at the bizarre weapon now being held against him. Its wielder, a blond boy dressed in orange and black, glared at him, and a hint of killing intent reached his senses.

"Drop him, pajama boy, or I drop _you_," he growled. The black-clad ninja smirked.

"Oh really? You and what army, _runt?"_

"Stop it already, Kankuro!" The two ninja turned their gaze to see a tall, blonde girl with her hair in four spiky pigtails walk up the alley. She set a hand on her hip as she gave the one called Kankuro a warning look. "_He'll _get mad!"

Kankuro huffed.

"Won't take long to deal with this runt and the brat with the _toy,_" Kankuro sneered. Completely ignoring the shocked expressions of Moegi, Udon, and Sakura behind him, Naruto smirked back.

"Look who's talking. I'm not the one with a _mummy_ on my back!"

Kankuro reached behind his back with his free hand but was stopped immediately as his hand was twisted painfully by that overgrown key's teeth. Naruto snagged the other boy's moving hand in his Keyblade's teeth and twisted his hand making it so that Kankuro couldn't move his arm without hurting himself.

"Reaching for something?" Kankuro growled and was about to retort, when a chilling killer intent fell over the alley. The blonde girl, Sakura, and the kids all shivered under its effects, but Naruto merely looked around trying to find its source.

"Enough, Kankuro. You're an embarrassment to our village. Have you forgotten why we came all the way here?" a cold, monotone voice spoke. Naruto traced it to a redheaded boy dressed all in black, with a giant gourd on his back. He was hanging upside-down from a nearby tree, black-lined green eyes staring intently at them all. He vanished in a whirl of sand, before reappearing on the ground.

"I know. I mean, they challenged us. They started the whole thing, really. See, here's what happened..." Kankuro tried to explain, but Gaara cut him off.

"Shut up or I'll kill you," he stated flatly, dead certainty in his gaze. Naruto fought a chill down his spine as he released Kankuro's hand.

Kankuro nervously let Konohamaru down, who immediately fled behind Naruto. The blond narrowed his eyes at the newcomer.

"I apologize for their conduct," the redhead said flatly, as though reading from a boring script.

A throat was cleared above them, and all turned to see an annoyed-looking Uchiha Sasuke sitting in the tree.

"Hey, you! Identify yourself," Sasuke ordered arrogantly.

"You mean, me?" the blonde girl asked, blushing slightly. Naruto rolled his eyes as Sakura seethed.

_God damnit, why the hell does the bastard get all the female attention? Why?_

"No, the guy with the gourd on his back," the Uchiha continued. The redhead blinked up at him.

"Subaku no Gaara," he replied.

"Temari," the blonde girl volunteered, adjusting the black folded object on her back while casting a nervous look at Gaara.

"Kankuro," the last replied gruffly.

"Oh... You must be here for the Chuunin Exams," Sakura interjected, smiling slightly and trying to defuse the tension. The attempt failed, and she scowled as all three Sand ninja ignored her. Gaara shifted his gaze to Naruto, who stared back determinedly.

"You," the redhead stated to Naruto. "What's your name?"

"Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto responded evenly, Keyblade still in his hand. He'd lowered it away from Kankuro' but it wouldn't vanish, indicating that there was still a possible threat. Gaara's eyes lingered on the weapon only a moment, before returning his eyes to Naruto's.

"I... Look forward to meeting you in the exams," Gaara replied simply. He then turned and walked past Sakura, Moegi, and Udon without so much as a glance at them. Temari followed, eyes now on Naruto with an unreadable expression, as Kankuro glowered at the blond before following as well. Konohamaru shivered, and nudged himself a little closer to Naruto.

"Man, that guy's even more emo than Sasuke!" Naruto finally pronounced, shaking his head with a grin. Sakura growled as Udon and Moegi giggled a bit.

"Shut up Naruto! Sasuke-kun is _not _emo!"

"He and Sasuke probably use the same conditioner," the blond scoffed and smiled when Konohamaru laughed, fear forgotten. Sasuke released a little killing intent, getting attention back on him.

"The Chuunin exams are in a week, and I for one am going to enter."

He glared expectantly at Naruto and Sakura. The blond grinned.

"Oh, what, you have to ask? Of _course _I'm entering! How about you, Sakura-chan?"

The pink-haired girl looked nervous, but slowly nodded.

"I... I'll enter too."

"YATTA! That's awesome! I've got to go train!" Naruto crowed. Konohamaru tugged on his jacket.

"Hey, Naruto-nii-chan, can we play ninja?"

Naruto made a long-suffering face.

"Aw, c'mon! I've got to train!"

"But we haven't played in weeks! And you always come up with the best missions!" Udon pleaded.

"Please, Naruto-nii-chan?" Begged Moegi, her eyes wide and bright while her lips turned into a pout. It was the most adorable expression Naruto had ever seen, and he felt his will slipping away. He sucked in a deep breath, and sighed.

"Okay, okay... I'll play..."

Sasuke smirked ever so slightly. Naruto stuck his tongue out at him and gave a broad grin to the Corps members.

"Allright Team Uzumaki! Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is..."

* * *

><p>The day of the exams came, and Team 7 had gathered at the testing building. Following a few other genin teams, they soon found themselves on the second floor, where several ninja were crowded around. Pushing their way through the crowd, they found Team Gai in front of a door where two oddly-dressed genin stood.<p>

"We're not letting you in, got it? None of you have what it takes to be Chuunin!" One with bandages covered his face shouted.

"Yeah, we've failed this test seven times! None of you are strong enough to get through!" His companion, a brown-haired guy wearing a blue cap, added with a scoff.

A brown-haired guy who resembled Hinata merely smirked, as Lee and Tenten stood at his sides.

"That just means it was your fate to fail seven times," the boy sneered in a level of disdain Naruto had only before heard in Sasuke's voice. Tenten, a quick glance to the grey-eyed boy as though asking for permission, moved forward and smiled kindly.

"Please, can't you let us in? We'll take our chances," she said reasonably. The boy wearing the blue cap held up a hand to backhand her, but before anyone could move-

_WHACK!_ The boy was slammed back against the door, holding his head with a groan, as the Keyblade clattered to the floor from bouncing off his face. Every ninja there gawked in astonishment as it vanished in a flash of light, and reappeared in Naruto's outstretched hand. He glared coldly at the boy, before turning to Tenten.

"You okay?"

Tenten nodded, looking a bit embarrassed, as the genin got back up and glared at Naruto.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"Not so tough after all, huh?" Sasuke smirked, Sharingan eyes spinning. "Just a couple of weaklings, disguising a door to make us all turn back."

"Huh?" Asked a few genin.

"It's a genjutsu, and besides," Sakura added, "this is the second floor. The test is being held on the third floor."

"Hey! Why couldn't you let me in on this?" Naruto demanded. Sasuke smirked.

"Looks like I overestimated your abilities," the Uchiha gloated, as Naruto glared.

"Damnit," the two genin muttered, disengaging the genjutsu. The sign above the door now read '201' instead of '301'. "You saw through it!"

"Of course we did," Sakura said proudly.

"But, you also just made things harder on yourself," the blue-cap wearing genin smirked. "This was _supposed _to weed out the morons. The _smart _move would have been to move on! Idiots..."

The two genin walked off, leaving a pissed Sasuke to glare after them as the other ninja began to move, leaving Team Seven and Team Gai in the hallway.

"'Looks like I overestimated your abilities', my _ass_," Naruto muttered, Tenten giggling just a bit. He gave her a nervous smile, which she returned, as the long-haired, grey eyed boy looked at Sasuke.

"My name is Hyuuga Neji. And you are?"

The Uchiha ignored him and headed for the stairs at the end of the hallway, Sakura and Naruto following. Neji narrowed his eyes slightly, before turning away and walking in the opposite direction, Tenten following.

Team Seven reached the open room housing the stairs to the next level when Lee reappeared at the top of the balcony on the third floor above them.

"Wait! Your name is Uchiha Sasuke, correct?"

"What's it to you?" Sasuke retorted. Lee grinned.

"I am Rock Lee, and I have heard that you are a prodigy! Last of the Uchiha clan! I would very much like to test my skills against you... As well as you, Naruto-san!"

"Er, me?" Naruto asked, as Sasuke smirked. Lee nodded rapidly.

"Indeed, Naruto-san! But first, I would like to fight Sasuke-san! In order to prove myself to the beautiful Sakura-chan!"

The pink haired girl gaped in disbelief, as Lee leaped down to their floor and smiled, blowing a kiss.

"Sakura-san, will you be my girlfriend? I swear, I will protect you forever with my blazing flames of love and youth!" Lee proclaimed, as Sakura blanched.

"Oh God, no! No, no, no! Naruto! Sasuke-kun! Kick his ass!" Sakura screeched in horror. Lee frowned, and Naruto sighed.

"What? What's wrong?" Lee inquired. Sakura cringed.

"Your _eyebrows, _the spandex-Gah, you're so _weird_!"

Lee looked heartbroken, before smiling broadly and giving a thumb up, his teeth glinting with a noticeable sound effect.

"Then I will just have to prove myself to you! Uchiha Sasuke, shall we fight?"

Sasuke smirked, rushing forward.

"If you're so eager to be beaten, then fine, let's go!"

Lee sidestepped the Uchiha's first punch and slammed an ankle into his side, sending him tumbling away. Ignoring Sakura's cry of his name, Sasuke landed on his feet, trying not to wince at the pain in his ribs.

He activated his Sharingan and leapt forward again, but even though this time he could see Lee move, even as he moved to block he was too late-The punch connected with his solar plexus.

"Oof!"

"You may be able to _see_ my attacks coming, but it does no good unless your body can keep up!" Lee informed his opponent. Slipping under Sasuke's guard he slammed a foot into his stomach, launching him into the air. Almost instantaneously he was above Sasuke, grabbing him from behind and sending both into a death spin for the ground.

"SASUKE!" Sakura screamed as Lee opened his mouth.

"_Omote Re-!"_

_"DYNAMIC ENTRY!"_

Lee was knocked into the wall by what appeared to be a giant turtle, with huge eyebrows. Maito Gai appeared next, berating his student for acting so recklessly. They then engaged in a weird, overly dramatic hugging episode. After an even _more _bizarre apology to Team Seven, Gai and Lee vanished, leaving Sakura and Naruto blinking awkwardly, while Sasuke got back to his feet, scowling and trying to keep what little dignity he had left.

"Oh... Kay... That was weird," Naruto expressed. Sakura nodded dazedly, and turned to glare at Naruto.

"God, why is it that _weirdos_ get crushes on me, but not the guys I'm _actually _after?!" Sakura demanded. Naruto gave the pink-haired girl a deadpan expression.

"Why do girls always become attracted to good-looking jerks?" The blond asked in turn. Sakura would have retorted, had Sasuke not grunted for them to follow him upstairs. She still shot the smirking Naruto a deadly look, all the way to the real exam room.

"Ah, good of you all to come," Kakashi commented, standing in front of said room. "If you hadn't all come, you wouldn't be able to take the exam at all."

Sasuke scowled as Sakura and Naruto sighed.

"So you didn't tell us that because…?" The blond prompted.

"I didn't want you and Sasuke forcing Sakura to enter, though it appears you didn't need to." Kakashi smiled. "I know you're impatient, so I'll be brief. You've all grown well beyond my expectations, and I am proud to be your teacher." Kakashi's eye smile turned devious. The three genin were a little concerned at how well they could read their teacher already.

"So, knock 'em dead. Oh, and try to win. I've got a nice chunk of change on you three in the jounin pool." With that, Kakashi vanished.

"I _really_ hate our teacher," Naruto sighed, though he was grinning while he said it. Sasuke just smirked, as Sakura smiled.

"Well, passing to make him proud is a better motivator than passing to win him money," she suggested. The two boys could get behind that, and so spurred they pushed the double doors open and entered the exam room.

"Boy, this place is _crowded,"_ Naruto commented, shaking his head. Sasuke glared at him and huffed at the full room of genin, most turning and glowering at the newcomers. His expression remained unchanged, even as a familiar blonde girl glomped him from behind.

"Sasuke-kun! Am I glad to see you! This place was definitely lacking good looks before... Hey, is that Naruto?" Ino blinked at him. Naruto blinked in confusion.

"Er, yeah?"

"INO-PIG, GET YOUR HANDS OFF SASUKE-KUN RIGHT NOW!" Sakura snarled, channeling chakra to her fists. Ino ignored her, letting Sasuke go and walking over to get a better look at Naruto. Naruto, in turn, got a good look at Ino's new attire-Blue jacket with short sleeves, black tank-top undershirt, white skirt, and dull yellow gloves and boots. A large wooden staff was strapped to her back, he noted, as her face came very close to his own. His cheeks reddened as she hummed thoughtfully.

"You know... You look a _lot _better with your hair down than up," she said with a smirk. "But still nothing compared to Sasuke-kun!" She turned away and tried to glomp Sasuke again, but was intercepted by Sakura. The two girls began snarling and hissing at each other, while Shikamaru and Chouji walked around them and came up to Naruto.

"Naruto, you're in this too? How troublesome," the pine-apple haired-boy sighed. Chouji munched some chips and grinned broadly.

"Nice outfit, Naruto! It looks really cool!"

_This from a guy wearing underwear on his head, _Naruto thought, but he grinned back anyway. It was nice to be complimented, though not as nice as being complimented by a girl.

"Hey, Naruto! How the hell did you get in here?" A familiar bark accompanied the equally familiar voice, and Naruto turned to glare at Kiba. Shino and Hinata also came up on either side, Hinata smiling and blushing at Naruto.

"Hello, N-Naruto-kun," the Hyuuga girl greeted, as Shino merely inclined his head. Naruto inclined his head to Shino back (the Aburame had always been polite to him at the academy, when he spoke at all, and he looked and acted _very _cool), and grinned broadly at Hinata.

"Hey Shino! Hinata-chan! And uh... What's your name?" He asked Kiba, smirking. The dog-like boy glowered indignantly.

"It's Inuzuka Kiba you idiot!"

"Ohhhh. Next time you might want to show me your collar," the blond replied with an evil grin. Hinata visibly tried not to laugh, as Kiba growled.

"You making fun of me, idiot?!"

"You got any better insults than 'idiot'?"

"Hey, you genin! Quiet down. You shouldn't draw attention to yourselves, or you won't make it out alive_…"_ a grey-haired boy wearing glasses and purple clothing told them, walking identifed himself as Kabuto, another Leaf nin taking the Chuunin exams.

"How many times have you taken it, Kabuto-san?" Asked Sakura politely. The grey-haired boy smiled and shrugged.

"Seventh time around... Trust me, it's not easy, especially this year." Kabuto turned his gaze on Naruto. Without warning, the Keyblade flashed into existence in Naruto's hand, much too nearly everyone's surprise, especially Naruto's.

_What?!_

"Naruto, when you'd get that thing?" Chouji asked, blinking. Naruto opened his mouth to answer, but Kabuto stepped in, holding up a card.

"Uzumaki Naruto, genin. Thirty-six D-Ranked missions, one C-Rank mission upgraded to A. Ninjutsu is ranked high, taijutsu ranked high, genjutsu ranked very low, stamina and agility are off the charts. Signatures are use of the Kage Bunshin, and a Keyblade." The grey-haired ninja smiled kindly.

"A Keyblade?" Asked Chouji.

"Apparently, there are a few such weapons fashioned after the legendary one. They incorporate a binding/summoning jutsu that makes them appear and reappear at the will of the wielder," Kabuto explained. Sasuke glowered.

"Where did you get that information?"

"Well, as I said, I've failed the exam seven years in a row. During that time, while I've gotten stronger I've also collected information. Each of my cards features data on a specific ninja. Anyone you'd like to see?"

Sasuke asked for information on Hyuuga Neji, Rock Lee, and Subaku Gaara. While he listened to their data, Naruto stared at Kabuto, working his jaw. The Keyblade would not vanish, and kept giving him an uneasy feeling around Kabuto. Why, he wasn't sure. The guy seemed nice enough, and had provided more information for him to use as a cover for the true origin of his Keyblade... But the weapon wouldn't vanish, even after the exam proctor entered the room and began the test.

* * *

><p><strong>I want to give you all an update as fast as possible. I try my best to read over everything and edit and change as much as I can to fit the needs of the continuing story. Hope you all like the merged chapter.<strong>

_Preview for Chapter 12:_

_The killing intent of the snake increased, but the Keybearer just smirked defiantly back. This thing didn't scare him!_

_"So bring it on, ugly! I'll kick your tail back to wherever you came from!" Naruto shouted. The snake hissed and screeched in challenge, before lunging._


	12. AN to all my Readers

Dear valued readers,

I am sorry this is not a chapter. This AN will hopefully answer all the questions that you have and may have.

To start, this is posted in all my other stories. This is NOT a new chapter again. This is a small explanation and something that I hope you all will read.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. Before then was about when I last updated and brought out the new story, Bad Day. Unfortunately I did not have such a wonderful holiday. This past holiday season my Grandfather passed away. I was very close to him and he was a very kind man. He taught me many things and this past holidays he passed away from pancreatic cancer. It was a heavy hit for my whole family.

It has taken me a while to come to terms with him being gone, but I am finally able to start with continuing where I left off before I disappeared on you all. Again I am very sorry.

So some info. First of all, KTtH:Rebirth will be updated probably the earliest, then Mimic. After that my others will surely follow because I have become greatly inspired to write and give you all good reading experience.

Happy readings to you all.

Nanashi


	13. The Forest of Death Part ITake 2

_**llVoice of Destiny/Inner Sakura**_

"Normal Talking"

_Thoughts/Sound Effects_

"_Flashback dialogue/Japanese/Emphasis of words"_

"**Demon speak"**

_A fanfiction originally by Andrew J. Talon and redone & continued by NanashiX_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Kingdom Hearts, Disney, or any other copyrighted material. The story idea, concept, and original are owned by Andrew Joshua Talon. The continuation is mine and I do this out of pure enjoyment and my love of the story. Note that I edit and add any elements that will benefit my continuation. If you the reader who has read the original feel that you wanted something different, now is the opportune time to tell me via Review or PM. Thank you for reading._

**AN: I'm sorry to all of my fans. To those not just reading this work of mine but all of my pieces, I again was trying to get these three chapters (yes three. I'm giving you all a triple update for this story) beginning this week. I was also hoping I was going to be done with Mimic 14. But things just keep happening for my family. A couple weeks ago or less than that, my aunt passed away. I'm sorry again to you all but there have just been so much going on. Being my own issues and family, things have just been so…crazy. But I think I am going to want to do my writing because to me, it is very therapeutic. Well here it is guys, I'm going to want to start changing some things up. It's gonna get a different feel so be ready.**

Key Through the Heart: Rebirth

xxx

The written test had been long, boring, and difficult… Until Naruto and his team managed to figure out the point of the exam. To gather information without being caught, what would normally be known as _cheating_. The final question had been a test of courage and decisiveness-You either agreed to take the question, finding out that agreeing to take it was the right answer all along, or you trudged out.

It was becoming very clear to Naruto that being a ninja was a lot like being a prankster. You always had to be one step ahead of those the joke was on.

The passing genin were startled when a purple-haired woman burst through the window, a dramatic sign reading "Mitarashi Anko" unfurling behind her. The first test proctor (Morino Ibiki, a heavily scarred and disturbing man) rolled his eyes.

"Anko, you're _early."_

"Well, you took too long explaining things to the brats!" Anko replied cheekily, grinning out at the genin unpleasantly. "So, only twenty-six teams left? Not bad, Ibiki, but I'll cut them by half in the second part! Right, I'm Mitarashi Anko! Follow me, brats! Time for the next part!" She leapt out the window, cackling maniacally, while the entire room just kind of stared after her.

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, BRATS? GET GOIN'!" Ibiki roared, and the room quickly emptied. The scarred interrogator chuckled darkly, before looking over a few of the papers. He paused by one, and picked it up, raising a hairless brow.

"'Done by Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage,'" he read aloud. The signature was below a rather decent sketch of said blond demon container, standing triumphantly over the Uchiha kid, a member of the Inuzuka clan, and that red head from the Sand. Ibiki smirked and shook his head.

"Keep dreaming, kid," he grunted.

xxx

The genins, meanwhile, were led to the walls of Training Field 44. Anko stood before them, trench coat swaying in the breeze as the early afternoon sun shone down on them all.

"Alright, listen up brats! Each team has been given a scroll 'Heaven', or 'Earth'. Your goal is to reach the tower in the center of the training area, with both of these scrolls, and all three of your teammates. You are free to employ _any_ means to get these scrolls. This is not a game, this is _actual _combat, so treat it as such!"

"So, how long do we have? And can we quit in the middle of the test?" Shikamaru asked, hands in his pockets. Anko laughed.

"Five days, and no you can't quit! Can you quit in the middle of a battle? Well _maybe_, but you'd just get killed! They don't call this the Forest of Death for nothing!"

"Er, what's in the scrolls?" asked another genin. Anko looked him over.

"Nothing you should be concerned about until you get to the tower. If you open it before then… Well… Let's just say it won't be pleasant," she chuckled evilly, most of the genin looking uneasy at this.

Naruto rolled his eyes and grinned nearby.

"Ooooh, Forest of Death, I'm _sooo_ scared," he mocked. He comically cowered, shaking. "Oh noooo! We're all _doomed!"_ A few genin nearby laughed at his antics. Hinata blushed and smiled, her anxiety being reduced just a bit by her crush's words.

_THWIP!_

_FLASH!_

A kunai had grazed Naruto's cheek, even as the Keyblade flashed into existence in his hand and he assumed a fighting stance. His blue eyes widened as he felt a warm, _very_ female body pressing against his back, and hot breath against his ear.

"Now it's _tough_ guys like you who are always the first to _die,"_ Anko crooned into his ear, licking at his now burning red cheek. "And leave such _yummy _blood all over the forest floor."

_Th-Th-That hussy!_ Hinata thought angrily, fists clenching as she watched. Tenten felt kunai come into her hands as her eyes narrowed.

_God, she's so shameless!_

"Excuse me, test proctor, but I believe this is yours," a long-haired grass ninja said, her long tongue wrapped around the ring of the steel kunai Anko had thrown. The special jounin took it, still smirking sexily. She patted Naruto on the shoulder and walked back to the front of the group, Naruto just gaping after her like a fool.

"GAH! Hey!" He yelped as the long-haired grass ninja sniffed uncomfortably near him. She smiled at him creepily.

"Sorry, I just _love_ the scent of blood," she hissed. Naruto backed off, his Keyblade out and screaming _danger!_ at this genin's presence. Her eyes locked onto the Keyblade, and a hint of killing intent flashed over Naruto's senses before the odd ninja turned and went back to her team.

"_God_ Naruto! Have you no shame?" Sakura scolded, nevertheless handing him a band-aid. Naruto accepted it gratefully, leaning the Keyblade against his shoulder. His eyes narrowed as the Keyblade's warning lessened, but not by much.

"C'mon deadlast, let's get to the gate," Sasuke stated flatly. Naruto grinned and followed.

"Sure! Let's kick some ass guys!"

"Tenten? Are you alright?" Lee asked his teammate, concerned. The bunned-girl blinked and looked at the spandex-clad ninja. She smiled uneasily.

"I'm fine… Just, you know… Little nervous."

"YOSH! Fear not, Tenten! Our burning flames of youth will outshine those of our competition, and we shall be victorious! Is that not right, Neji?"

The stoic Hyuuga smirked and nodded.

"Let's go."

The green-clad ninja grinned and gave a thumbsup.

The other genin all made it to their starting gates. The tall wooden structures groaned as they were all opened at once, as though reluctant to let the young ninjas into its confines. Anko stood outside, and waited. A grim smile came on her face as the first screams filled the air.

"This should prove interesting," she murmured to herself.

xxx

Utada Hikaru smirked darkly. Already, her team of genin from Getsugakure (Village Hidden under the Moon) had tracked down a genin team from Konoha. They had stopped for a break in a clearing. A fat boy, a weak-looking blonde girl, and some lazy-looking kid with hair down up in a spiky ponytail.

She caught the eye of her fellow genin, and quickly signaled. They nodded, the two young men ready to strike. Hikaru herself formed the handseals for her _Kashoku no jutsu._

Hikaru leapt into the clearing, the jutsu activating and causing a massive burst of light that would blind the genin team. Her own goggles (and those also worn by her team) protected them.

"All right, hand over the scroll and no one gets hurt!" She shouted, kunai ready to be thrown. The genin did not respond, staring dumbly at her. Hikaru growled, and threw a kunai at the fat one.

"Fine! Then you can just-!" The fat boy _poofed_ out of existence, and Hikaru stared.

"It's a-!" She froze, and found her jutsu disappearing. Hikaru gawked as her body refused to obey her commands.

"Well, that was helpful," commented a lazy voice. The ponytailed-boy was standing near the edge of the clearing, smirking at her. She managed to get her eyes to look down, and saw that a shadow stretched between herself and the boy. Her teammates also had trapped shadows, and were struggling to get free.

"Yeah, that light jutsu of theirs boosted your shadow jutsu Shikamaru!" The fat boy added, stepping out of the bushes nearby with a grin.

"So, Chouji, you want to handle them, or should I?" A female voice asked behind Hikaru. She couldn't turn her head to see, but it had to be the blonde girl. Chouji looked thoughtful.

"Meh… It'll be faster if you do it, Ino! Besides, I'm hungry!" He whined.

"You're always hungry!" Ino growled. "But fine… THUNDER!"

A flash of light and shock later, and Hikaru was out cold, wondering just how things had gone so wrong…

Chouji walked over to the girl and pulled the scroll from her pouch, checking the seal and sighing.

"It's not the one we're looking for!"

Ino cursed.

"Damnit! We have to go through that _again?!"_

"No," Shikamaru said. "We just have to find another team with two 'Earth' scrolls, and we can trade them."

"But won't that give us more competition in the final round of the exams?" Chouji asked, pulling out a bag of chips and beginning to chow down. Shikamaru sighed.

"Can't be helped. The more we fight, the less likely our chances of getting to the tower. It's less troublesome to just trade it. Another Konoha team's probably our best bet."

Ino smiled broadly and tucked her staff back into the sling on her back. "Sounds great! Let's go!"

xxx

"Oi, Misumi! Kabuto's stopped!"

Tsurugi Misumi paused his tree hopping, looking back. His eyes narrowed behind his glasses at the grey-haired genin, who was looking up into the branches of the tree he was in.

"Hey, Kabuto! Get a move on!"

The medic ninja turned back, face artfully neutral.

"Head for the rendezvous point. I'll catch up."

"What?" Asked Akado Yoroi, glowering beneath his face mask. "What the hell are you thinking? Orochimaru-sama-!"

"I said, I'll catch up," Kabuto stated, cold and firm. His eyes became slightly red as he glared at his teammates, and both felt a chill go down their spines. Kabuto was much more powerful than them, asshole though he was.

"Fine," Misumi stated contritely, turning and leaping off. Yoroi followed soon after, still looking back at Kabuto.

The grey-haired ninja waited for a moment. A small black bird dropped down from its hidden perch overhead. It cawed, yellow eyes blinking, as it released a small scroll into Kabuto's hands. The ninja nodded, and Diablo flew off into the shadows of the forest.

Kabuto opened the scroll and read it through, the only betrayal of his thoughts another red flash through his eyes. He then smiled softly, tucking the scroll away in his kunai pouch before taking off on a northwesterly path through the trees.

The tower that was the genin's goal was to the north-east.

xxx

"Look, can I help it if I want to get to the tower and out of this forest as quickly as possible?" Sakura asked, not expecting an answer. It was rhetorical, after all.

"No," Sasuke grunted, maintaining his pace through the trees. Inner Sakura sighed and swooned at his acknowledgement. She was interrupted by Naruto's snort.

"Yeah well, we're not exactly going to be welcome there without a scroll!" The blond kicked off another tree as the trio kept up their furious pace through the upper levels of the forest canopy.

"If we get near the tower today, we can set up traps and ambushes for other teams, who will be tired from days of fighting it out," Sasuke reasoned.

"Brilliant, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura complimented.

"The less fighting we do, the better shape we'll be when we get to the third part of the exam," the Uchiha continued. Naruto frowned thoughtfully.

"Who made you leader anyway?"

"Oh, like you have a better plan deadlast?" Sasuke snorted. Naruto rolled his eyes.

"No, I'm just surprised you're thinking things through, for once."

"I'm not the one who was dead last in my class, moron!" Sasuke growled.

"I'm not the idiot who announced the genjutsu and got us all that extra competition!" Naruto returned.

"So what, you're afraid you're too weak to fight any of them?" Sasuke shot back with a superior smirk. Naruto growled back, Keyblade flashing into his hand.

"Naruto, Sasuke-kun, this isn't helping!" Sakura interjected. "And besides, Sasuke-kun's plan will work just fine."

Loathe as he was to admit it, Naruto knew Sakura had a point. And Sasuke may have been a bastard, but he did know his stuff. The plan made sense to him, at least. And while he did love a good fight, it was wiser to save your strength for the important ones.

_Feh, and they said I never learned,_ Naruto mentally scoffed, thinking of the Academy instructors who had snubbed or ignored him entirely. Not to mention how they taught him incorrectly when it was one on one, and insulted him, and mistreated Iruka-sensei for befriending him, and…

He felt a flickering of red chakra on the edge of his senses, and he doused his anger. Naruto mentally groaned. Was this how it was going to be from now on? Get angry, and the Kyuubi's power takes him?

"Naruto, watch out!" Sakura's warning alerted Naruto back to reality just in time, and he lifted his feet up to land on the tree he would have otherwise rammed his head against. His teammates paused.

"Naruto, pay attention!" Sakura added roughly, though he was pleased to see that her eyes were concerned.

"Sorry, I just… I have to go," the blond said, shifting uncomfortably. He had barely noticed his discomfort until Sakura had brought him out of his brooding.

"Well, go then," Sakura stated flatly. Naruto nodded and began to hop down the tree to the ground, before he paused and looked back up.

"Hey, wait! Shouldn't we come up with a password or something? Just in case one of us gets captured and replaced?"

"Just summon the Keyblade, idiot," Sasuke replied flatly. "No one else in this exam has one."

"Hey! Don't call me an idiot, emo boy!" Naruto shot back, and dashed off out of sight. He smirked at finally getting the last word.

Coming to a secluded clearing, he unzipped his pants and was about to relieve himself, when the Keyblade flashed into his hand. He felt a huge killing intent behind him, and an equally large mass as a shadow fell over his.

"Oh, shit," he muttered, leaping to the side while holding his shorts up with one hand. A split second later a massive brown and green, reptilian head smashed down, long fangs digging into the earth.

Naruto quickly re-zipped his pants and got into a fighting position, as the giant snake turned back and focused on him with glowing yellow eyes.

"Okay, I don't really think you can understand me, but I'd just like to say that attacking a guy while he's peeing is definitely _not cool,"_ Naruto stated flatly. The killing intent of the snake increased, but the Keybearer just smirked defiantly back. This thing didn't scare him!

"So bring it on, ugly! I'll kick your tail back to wherever you came from!" Naruto shouted. The snake hissed and screeched in challenge, before lunging.

xxx

A few miles away, in the heart of Konoha, a lone ramen stand was at work. The lunch crowd was coming in and Ichiraku Teuchi was handling the orders with his usual professionalism. He glared slightly at the increased patronage-Whenever Naruto didn't eat here, more people came. He'd remembered Naruto, on one occasion, noticing this, and offering to leave if he got too bad for business. The six year old had said this with such uncharacteristic conviction and seriousness in his voice that it'd given him a start.

Finally, Ichiraku just smiled, patted the blond's head, and told him that he didn't need the business of people like that. The honest, joyful smile on the boy's face was payment enough to him.

"Oi, Old Man! Two beef bowls please!"

"Coming right up!" Teuchi replied, looking down at the pots and basins for the noodles. He noted that they were out of beef flavoring and grimaced.

"Ayame, we're out of beef… Ayame?" He frowned, and turned back to his customers.

"Just a moment, please," he said, and walked to the backroom of the stand. Ayame was leaning against a wall, eyes dull and unfocused. Teuchi frowned and put a hand on his daughter's shoulder.

"Ayame? Are you all right? What's wrong?"

She looked up at him, face strained. He grimaced.

_Not now… Damnit Naruto, what are you doing?!_

xxx

"It's been ten minutes," Sasuke said. He got up from the branch he and Sakura had been resting on, waiting for Naruto to come back. Sakura frowned and followed, pulling on her gloves.

"Something's coming…" He muttered to her, and she discretely put one hand on her kunai pouch.

They spotted a familiar orange and black-clad figure, with blond hair held up by a _hitai-ate._ Naruto smiled and waved as he approached.

"Hey guys, I'm back! Let's get going and-HEY!" Naruto dodged a thrown kunai. He glared indignantly as Sasuke whipped out his sword and held it in a fighting stance, while Sakura gathered more kunai from her pouch and held them between her fingers, ready to throw them at a moment's notice.

"What's the big idea, you jerk?!" Naruto shouted.

"Drop the _henge_, we know you're not Naruto," Sasuke growled. "For one, he wears his _hitai-ate_ on his arm now, not his head."

"And where's the bandage on your cheek?" Sakura added defiantly.

_**Great, if this is an imposter, where's the real Naruto? Could he have been…?**_ Inner Sakura trailed off, but the implication made Sakura feel cold.

"Well well, you're much better than I thought," 'Naruto' said, a silky smirk on his face. With a poof, that strange grass ninja with the long tongue appeared.

"What did you do with Naruto?" Sasuke demanded, Sharingan eyes spinning. The girl's smile grew a little more, long tongue licking the corner of her mouth.

"Why, I had one of my pets deal with him," she simpered. "But I suggest you worry about yourself now, Sasuke-kun." With a drawn kunai she attacked, covering the distance between them in the blink of an eye. Sasuke parried the surprisingly strong blow as Sakura leapt and aimed a kick at the enemy's head. As though swatting away a fly, the grass ninja blocked the kick with her hand and shoved back, sending Sakura flying.

"Gah!" She shouted, twisting in mid-air and landing on a far trunk. Sakura gawked at the distance she'd been thrown. _Just what the hell is she?!_

Sasuke had leapt back, leading the grass ninja away from Sakura. He landed feet-first on a tree and leapt forward, slashing at his enemy three times while flipping over her. The grass ninja laughed, blocking each hit and grinning as Sasuke landed some distance away, putting his sword in his other hand before briefly shaking out his right.

"A bit too hard for you, Sasuke-kun?" The ninja teased, leaping for Sasuke again, kunai crashing against the Uchiha's blade. Sasuke spun away from the blow, swinging for his enemy's back. Quick as lightening she blocked, but this was what Sasuke intended. He slipped under the strike and kicked the enemy's legs out from under her, sending her falling off the branch. Before she could react Sasuke jumped off after her, diving like a falcon to catch up, and locking her in a tight hold as they went down headfirst.

They fell, faster and faster, and even as the grass ninja struggled with incredible strength Sasuke held on. He gritted his teeth and directed more chakra to his limbs.

_Just a little more…!_

_WHAM!_ They reached the ground, the grass ninja crying out in pain. Sasuke heard a satisfying _crack_, and pulled off his foe, pulling his sword back to plunge it through the ninja's back. But the grass ninja leapt up and kicked Sasuke away, sending him flying into a tree with an "Oof!"

"Ku ku ku… I will admit, Sasuke_-kun,_ that was better than I expected… But still not enough to stop me!" She cackled. She moved towards Sasuke, but jumped back at several kunai imbedding themselves in the forest floor before her. Sakura leapt in, darting forward with a feint kick to the head. The grass ninja countered the rabbit punch that followed, and soon pulled Sakura's stomach into her knee.

"AUGH!" Sakura wheezed, green eyes wide as her breath was stolen.

"Sakura!" Sasuke shouted, bracing against his tree and leaping forward, slashing with his sword. The grass nin leapt back, leaving Sakura to fall to the ground, trying to breathe desperately as her face burned red.

"Oh, _such_ concern for your teammate! How _touching,_" the ninja sneered. "But really… Such attachments only make you weak. I believe your brother proved as much." Hate flared inside Sasuke, as the grass ninja continued her taunt.

"What a disappointment you turned out to be. Your ancestors weep...the Uchiha clan should thank me for killing you. Foolish little worm…"

"_Foolish little brother, if you wish to kill me, hate me, detest me, and survive in an unsightly way. Run, run and cling to life…"_

"No," Sasuke whispered, angrily. He felt his chakra roar inside him.

_I am not weak… I am not a disappointment… Never again… For I am… AN AVENGER!_

"_Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"_ The massive fireball erupted from Sasuke's mouth, surprising the grass ninja and causing her to leapt away. This however was shown to Sasuke in the Sharingan, and despite his foe's superior speed and agility he had prepared the trap.

"_Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"_

Again a fireball flew from Sasuke's mouth, hands discretely moving to his weapons pouch. The grass ninja leapt away once more, and Sasuke leapt with her, matching altitude as he made another set of handseals.

"_Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!"_

The grass ninja smirked as the firebirds flew for her.

"_Fūton: Daitoppa!"_ A massive blast of wind erupted from the grass ninja, and Sasuke cursed as his firebirds (and the kunai concealed within) were blown back. The wind caught him too and sent him flying into a tree trunk with a thud.

"SASUKE-KUN!" Sakura screeched, trying to get back on her feet but still apparently out for the count. Sasuke cursed under his breath.

_Damnit, just how strong is this woman?!_

"Such a disappointment," the ninja cooed, landing near Sakura. Sasuke tried to move as the pink-haired girl was picked up, but he found he didn't have to-The grass ninja threw Sakura to him. He managed to catch her, rolling along a very large branch to kill momentum.

"S-Sasuke-kun," she murmured, shaking. Sasuke felt the breath in his lungs freeze as a massive, horrifying killer intent came over him. He struggled against it, setting Sakura down as gently as he could before getting to his feet. The grass ninja was facing them from another nearby bough, deadly smirk in place.

"So, you can stand against my killer intent? A bit better, but still nothing compared to your brother. It seems all the power of the Uchiha clan went to him when it fell… And you are a poor, _poor_ replacement," the ninja cackled. Sasuke snarled, Sharingan eyes at full power. His vision seemed to clear a bit more, and despite his injuries he felt revitalized, strengthened.

He saw what he had to do. He leapt up, throwing several kunai at the enemy ninja. She laughed, dodging easily. Sasuke threw two windmill shuriken after, and the grass ninja leapt above them… Eyes widening slightly at the second shuriken that emerged from their shadows, spinning after her. She leapt away again, senses perceiving Sasuke's strike too late.

"YAH!" He cried, kicking his foe as hard as he could and directing her aerial path to another tree. The Sharingan showed his plan, and mentally a clock ticked.

_Almost there… Almost there…_

The grass ninja landed on the tree bough, right in front of the trunk. Sasuke threw a kunai with a wire attached up and swung around another massive tree, gaining altitude, until he was directly ahead and above the enemy. She stared curiously… And gaped as the light of the sun got through the forest canopy just enough to reveal more wires.

Sasuke yanked the wires as hard as he could, and like a closing net, whipped around the grass ninja and slammed her up against the trunk of the tree she stood on. Sasuke made an elaborate set of hand seals, taking a deep breath as he tucked the ends of the wires into his mouth.

"_Katon: Ryūka no Jutsu!"_ Flames roared along the wires, highlighting their paths of steel wire. They were wrapped around the kunai and shuriken Sasuke had thrown, guiding the fire in a vast network that raced around the forest, all of them finally slamming into the captive ninja at once.

"YEEEEEAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHH!" The grass ninja screamed, the flames edging near the blue color of the temperature spectrum. Sasuke let the wires fall from his mouth and spun up his sword, imbuing it with chakra before throwing it with all his might, sticking the wire trailing his _chokuto_ to his mouth and directing what was left of his chakra to the final blow.

"_KATON: KAKIRI NO JUTSU!"_ Sasuke roared, his flung sword turning into a fiery rocket that slammed into the grass ninja, causing a massive explosion.

_KABOOM!_

Sasuke shielded his eyes from the flash, letting the wind from the blast wash over him before he looked again.

A large section of the tree-trunk had been gouged out, burnt into black charcoal. The smoke was heavy as Sasuke tugged on his wire and yanked his sword (blackened but otherwise unharmed) back to his hand. As the smoke cleared, Sasuke could see the enemy ninja bow her head… Then look up, face seemingly melted, but otherwise unharmed. Sasuke gawked, and felt the killing intent fall upon him even harder.

"_Ku ku kuuu…_" The ninja laughed, shrugging off the wires and grinning through her/his/its ruined face. "I was wrong… You have _great_potential… Potential to grow far beyond Itachi. Your Sharingan is keener than his…" The ninja leapt for Sakura, and Sasuke, exhausted as he was, managed to get in front of her protectively, sword held out as he panted. The ninja looked amused, before leaning her/his/it's head back and making a gagging noise.

"What… Who the _hell_ are you?!" Sasuke demanded, shaking from the killer intent and disgust, as the grass ninja yanked a long, straight blade from its throat. It held it out in a ready stance.

"Come, let us continue! You can't let your guard down for even a second. Prey need to strain their minds all the time and run around... in the presence of a predator," the ninja finished with a smirk. Sasuke charged.

"_DIE!"_ He bellowed.

_SHING!_ Sasuke gawked. His sword had been broken in two by a single slash from the enemy's blade. He backed away, still holding what was left of his _chokuto_ out in challenge.

"Fool… Hand over the scroll and I'll let you live," the ninja cooed mockingly. Sasuke, still shaking from the killer intent, felt his hand reach for his pouch.

"Not so fast, you blood licking _freak_!" shouted a familiar voice. Sakura looked up and smiled.

"_Naruto!"_

The blond looked rather worse for wear, but was grinning all the same. The grass ninja scowled.

"You… How did you escape my summon?"

"That was _your_ snake? Oh, I'm sorry, but I had to gut it," Naruto smirked. "Woulda made a kick ass slide with it, but it went 'poof' on me. By the way, it's _rude_ to not identify yourself to other people. Right Sasuke?

Sasuke had no idea how Naruto could be so cheerful in the midst of this killing intent. It made Zabuza's feel like a mild breeze! But still, he somehow managed an annoyed glare.

"Shut up, you idiot!"

"Hey! Show some gratitude! I'm here to save your ass, _again_ I might add, from _another_ girl!"

Sasuke snarled, as the grass ninja blinked. Here he was putting out enough killing intent to bring an ANBU to their knees, and this boy wasn't affected?

_Of course not,_ he thought, _he contains the Kyuubi no Kitsune, and wields the Keyblade. One would make him immune to demon level ki, and the other magnifies the power of his heart._

"I am Orochimaru… And I know all about you, Uzumaki Naruto," he hissed. Naruto smirked and flipped down in front of his teammates, Keyblade at the ready.

"I'm flattered, Oro… Whatever. " Naruto paused. "Since you already know my name, I'll just skip to the important part of my introduction. I'm here to kick your ass!"

Naruto leapt forward, Keyblade singing as he swung for Orochimaru's head. The older ninja blocked the strike with his own blade, but his eyes widened ever so slightly at the sight of his sword, the legendary _Kusanagi,_ being _chipped_ by the Keyblade.

"Impressive," he got out, as Naruto spun away from the strike in midair and swung for his waist. Orochimaru parried that as well but Naruto simply spun away again, kicking off the tree branch and kicking back to him from another. Orochimaru continued blocking the blows, which began to increase in speed.

"HIYAH! YAH! TAKE THAT!" Naruto shouted eyes completely on the fight. He ducked under a retaliatory blow from Orochimaru, and swung his chakra-enhanced blade into the bough underneath him, breaking the branch and sending his enemy stumbling backwards.

"DIE!" Naruto roared, leaping as he pushed off the Keyblade and summoned it back within Orochimaru's guard as they fell. The snake summoner twisted away and kicked Naruto in the stomach, sending him flying up into another tree. Orochimaru landed with a grimace, noting that the Kyuubi brat had managed to _scratch_ him.

"You'll pay for your insolence, little fool," he hissed, unleashing some of his full speed as he leapt after Naruto. The blond was sticking to the side of a vast tree trunk, and leapt off, twisting in mid air to meet Orochimaru's blow.

_SKRASH!_

Sparks flew off the weapons as Keyblade and _Kusanagi_ met, Naruto flipping over Orochimaru and spinning his weapon up with chakra imbuement.

"I was saving _this_ for the bastard, but guess I'll have to test it on you!" The blond shouted. He threw the Keyblade, burning blue with chakra, as hard as he could at Orochimaru. The snake summoner blocked the strike, noting that the _Kusanagi,_ again, had been chipped from the force of the blow. The Keyblade flashed and vanished, reappearing in Naruto's hand, as he threw the Keyblade again, burning with chakra still.

_CLANG! FLASH! CLANG! FLASH!_

Naruto kept throwing the Keyblade, darting all around Orochimaru and keeping up his attack. He felt himself reach the limits of his speed, and made several _Kage Bunshin_, who all began the same attack. Orochimaru moved faster, but whether it was his own instincts or those of the Keyblade, Naruto knew that something had to give.

_WHAM!_ Right in the shoulder, the Keyblade finally got through Orochimaru's guard, knocking him off the branch he'd been standing on and spinning him away. Naruto re-summoned the Keyblade and spun it up once more, ready to deliver a death blow.

"_STRIKE RAID!"_ Naruto bellowed, throwing the Keyblade.

"_KUCHIYOSE NO JUTSU!"_ Orochimaru shouted, and the Keyblade met instead a giant snake, emerging from a great burst of smoke. The weapon bounced off its leathery hide as the serpent lunged, mouth open, for the blond ninja.

"OH SHI-!" Naruto screamed as the snake's jaws caught him, swallowing him whole. His shocked clones were quickly dispatched by the snake as well. Sakura screamed in horror, as Orochimaru landed easily on the branch Sasuke and Sakura had retreated to. He smirked darkly.

"Now, where were we?" He hissed.

xxx

Ayame had calmed down a little, and was able to resume preparing and serving ramen to the hungry customers. Teuchi smiled, hoping that it was simply a false alarm…

"Hey, are you okay?" A customer asked, eyes concerned. Teuchi turned and frowned as Ayame wobbled. The ramen cook's daughter managed a small smile.

"I'm… I'm… Oh, _no,"_ she whispered, before she fell forward. Teuchi was barely able to save her from falling face first into the noodle fryers, and pulled Ayame back up. He shook her, noting her vacant eyes.

"Ayame? AYAME!" He turned to a ninja who was watching, bowl of pork ramen steaming before him. "Get a medic! A doctor! Someone!"

_Damnit, not now! Not so soon! Naruto! You'd better be all right! Because I want to be the one to kick your ass when you return!_

xxx

Naruto blinked. The interior of the snake was, for a time, slimy, warm and smelled disgusting. Then, he found himself in a black abyss, a familiar red-haired, whiskered woman before him.

"**What did I tell you, simple fool?"** The Kyuubi laughed. "**You need my power, again. You weakling."**

"Screw you, fox bitch! I don't need your help!" Naruto shouted, struggling to get free and back into the Real World. The Kyuubi smirked.

"**Idiot… Now that you're in my grasp, you have no choice in the matter…"** Naruto felt red hot fire engulf his feet, and he looked down to see that familiar, hated red chakra oozing up his legs. He cursed and tried to yank himself out, but the grip tightened relentlessly, the red chakra continued to flow upwards. Naruto saw the Keyblade begin to shift into its curved, cruel, red form, and he struggled even harder, yelling and cursing as the chakra went past his waist and began to reach his chest.

A warm, comforting hand took his free one, and Naruto felt himself calm down. The Kyuubi glared in disgust to someone at his right.

"**You… How did you get in here?!"** She snarled. A commanding yet soothing female voice answered her.

"_**I am called by his heart,"**_ she responded, and the abyss began to lighten. Naruto still couldn't turn his head to see his savior, but he couldn't help but smile. Especially as the red chakra was gathered up into the Keyblade, isolated from his body.

"_**Don't be afraid, Naruto,"**_ the woman spoke again. "_**Do not give in to the darkness. You have defeated her once already. She may be in a different guise, but your resolution has not failed. Trust in yourself…"**_

Naruto focused, the blue light from the mysterious woman filling him, as though recharging his chakra. She let go of his right hand, and he felt the reassuring weight of his true Keyblade fill it. Both weapons, Keyblade and Kyuubi-blade, glowed brightly.

"**You bitch! How dare you defy me!"** The Kyuubi roared, forced back into her giant fox form. The mysterious woman said nothing, only placing a comforting hand on Naruto's back.

"I… Um…" Naruto tried to say, and still found he couldn't turn to face her. He grimaced and tried harder, but still stayed firmly rooted forward.

"Why can't I see you?"

Laughter, like the tinkling of bells.

"_**You will… But for now, you have work to do, Naruto-kun."**_

And then he was back in the snake's belly, the sick smell of acid filling his nostrils, and both Keyblades flashing into existence in his hands. He focused, the chakra shaping itself within him.

"_TAJUU_ _KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!"_

xxx

Sakura sat over a downed Sasuke, sobbing as she held him. He was whimpering in pain, the bite marks on his neck changing form into a tattoo-like bruise, black with three small tadpoles swimming in a circle within it.

"Come to me when you want power, Sasuke-_kun,"_ Orochimaru cooed, licking his lips as his neck shrank back into his body. He turned to go and dispel his summon… Before a massive spike of chakra flowed over his senses.

"_What?!"_ He seethed, as the snake that had swallowed Naruto began to expand. Its yellow eyes widened as the bulge in its throat grew to a giant size, the leathery flesh breaking and cracking until-

_BOOM!_ A flood of Narutos emerged, the snake broken in two. It fell, puffing out of existence, as the _kage bunshins_, as one, leapt for Orochimaru, each wielding two Keyblades, each with murder in their eyes.

"_Fūton: Daitoppa!"_ Orochimaru shouted, and the wind jutsu blew away the clones, all of them poofing into smoke. But the real Naruto's location was soon determined. Orochimaru looked up and saw him diving down, both Keyblades blazing with chakra flames. The snake summoner leapt up as well, _Kusanagi_ at the ready. Naruto lashed out with his weapons as Orochimaru swung upwards. An unholy screech permeated the forest as three mighty weapons clashed. The two broke apart and Naruto corkscrewed to the side where he stuck to a tree.

Orochimaru flipped backwards and landed fluidly below the boy once more and glared heatedly at him. His Kusanagi receiving two long scratches from their bout. Naruto crossed the two blades in front of him and zeroed in on his target. Lifting the Keyblades high above the blonde roared as the chakra flames on the weapons rose.

Time seemed to slow down, as Naruto swung both Keyblades together, their unstable auras interacting, red and blue burning to white.

The words for the attack left Naruto's lips, even though he had never heard them before.

"_BRAVE SHOT!"_ He roared, as the Kyuubi Keyblade was converted entirely by the blue chakra of the original into burning white energy, which exploded out like a sun being born. Sakura dragged Sasuke behind the tree trunk and held him for dear life as the shockwave of the blast roared around them, a blinding light shining around them.

The tree nearest the release had its sap superheated to the point it exploded, a massive fireball ascending above the forest as wooden shrapnel and debris flew everywhere. For miles around, if the flash was not seen then the boom certainly was heard, the wind from the explosion carrying the scent of fire and burnt flesh. Chakra senses across Konoha screamed at the burst of demonic energy, and even civilians with no shinobi training felt a shiver from the release.

In the middle of the dying maelstrom, lying near a felled tree, a badly beaten and exhausted Naruto lay, the original Keyblade lying at his side. He wheezed, blue eyes staring dazedly out at the small clearing he'd created, small fires still burning everywhere.

His enemy emerged from the smoke, yellow eyes narrowed. Naruto gritted his teeth as he saw that Orochimaru, while appearing burnt alive, was unharmed beneath the blackened extra layer of skin.

"You have amused me, Kyuubi brat," he spat. He was on Naruto in a second, Naruto's neck held in his merciless grasp. The blond choked, but still glared defiantly into the monster's eyes. He screamed in agony as Orochimaru slammed his fingers into his bare stomach, the seal reacting with the feeling of a fire in his belly.

"Consider yourself _blessed_ that I cannot kill you now," the snake summoner hissed, carelessly flinging Naruto aside. He then vanished, a grudging smirk on his face.

If not for the fact that the Kyuubi would destroy his soul, if the Keyblade didn't get to him first, he'd have marked Uzumaki as his next host.

_However, when Sasuke-kun comes to me…_ He laughed maniacally, as he sped through the forest.

Sakura had managed to drag the unconscious Sasuke to the ground, and carrying him piggy back (which, despite the circumstances, made Sakura blush bright red) she made her way to the scene of the fight, limping from the injuries Orochimaru had inflicted on her.

"Na… Naruto!" She called out. Tearfully she spotted him, lying limp on the ground. She shuffled over, falling to her knees and checking his pulse.

"Oh God… Naruto," she whispered, seeing his sorry state. She was exhausted from the fight, and hauling Sasuke around was difficult, even with her enhanced strength. But, she steeled herself to get both of her teammates somewhere hidden, before other teams arrived, drawn by the explosion.

She dragged them both away, unaware of the grey-haired ninja watching her, and smiling ever so slightly as the sunlight glinted off his glasses.

xxx

**AN: I added some more to the fight scene when Naruto dual-wielded and I am leaving what AJT has said for this chapter because it is quite important. Enjoy my readers. Enjoy it as much as I doing this.**

_Updated 12/13/07:__Did some additional editing, as well as removing all mention of "dattebayo". As it's intended to be added onto the end of a sentence to emphasize it and make it sound tougher, for story purposes it has been replaced with a simple emphasis on certain words and, where appropriate, swearing._

_Well, I hope that met everyone's approval! And that the dialogue was not too cheesy._

_Don't ask me about Ayame, the woman, or how Naruto could wield two Keyblades, if only for a moment. You'll find out in time, I promise._

_Speaking of which, hope that wasn't too cliché. I have a method to my madness, but just hang with me folks in order to find out what it is._

_Sokka's lawyer: I stopped replying to reviews because Fanfiction . net warned me not to in my stories. I can however reply to general questions and so forth._

_The Real Get Over It: I hope this modified dialogue worked for you. If not, I can safely say that most of the dialogue in future chapters will not be word for word in the least, heh._

_If you spotted the reference to the Kingdom Hearts soundtrack I made, kudos. You rock._

_Unless you just used Wiki to look it up. In which case, hmph. Cheaters._

_Just so you all know, the only real damage Naruto did to Orochimaru was leave a scratch. Brave Shot is also not the best attack to use because it literally blows up a Keyblade. Which would probably kill nearly anyone else attempting the move. Yes, I know it's not like that in the game. This is my interpretation._

_And don't expect him to either wield two Keyblades a lot more in the future, or use that attack again, except maybe as a last resort._

_Allright, enough author notes. Review, be honest, tell me what you liked, didn't like, etc. See you next time!_

_Preview for Chapter Fourteen:_

"_Who hurt you, Sakura? Who did that to you?"_

"_Me!"_

"_Then die…"_


	14. Dark Thoughts Consume Us

_**llVoice of Destiny/Inner Sakura**_

"Normal Talking"

_Thoughts/Sound Effects_

"_Flashback dialogue/Japanese/Emphasis of words"_

"**Demon speak"**

_A fanfiction originally by Andrew J. Talon and redone & continued by NanashiX_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Kingdom Hearts, Disney, or any other copyrighted material. The story idea, concept, and original are owned by Andrew Joshua Talon. The continuation is mine and I do this out of pure enjoyment and my love of the story. Note that I edit and add any elements that will benefit my continuation. If you the reader who has read the original feel that you wanted something different, now is the opportune time to tell me via Review or PM. Thank you for reading._

Key Through the Heart: Rebirth

xxx

Twilight Town was definitely one of Jiraiya's favorite haunts, ever since he'd begun world hopping some time ago. The people were simple but friendly, the place was warm and quiet, and (most importantly) had a good population of attractive, young women for his research.

What drew Jiraiya of Konoha here at the moment though, were the fruits of this town's labors. Or, more accurately, the grains.

He threw back another rich Twilight Ale, enjoying the buzz in the back of his brain and the burn of the potent liquor down his throat. He smiled, shaking out his impressive main of white hair with an appreciative hum.

"Quite the brew you have, my dear," the Sannin complimented his hostess in the small bar near a wide field in the center of the town called the Sand Lot. His finely tuned ninja senses could pick out the weak auras of some of the kids training for some fighting contest. The hostess blushed prettily in response.

"Why thank you, Mister Jiraiya! Would you like more?"

"Please!" Jiraiya grinned, holding out his mug. He then frowned.

"Well, I see you're wasting no time," a high-pitched, amused voice said behind him. Jiraiya turned and smiled at the short, red-clad mouse hidden behind an illusion of a non-descript man.

"Mickey! I wondered when you were going to get your tail here," Jiraiya commented. He motioned to the seat next to him, eyes turning to the hostess.

"Ruby, can you give us some privacy?" The silver-haired woman smiled and nodded, turning and heading to tend to her other customers. Mickey walked up and took his seat, the illusion doing the same. Jiraiya whistled.

"Huh… Not bad. Not _quite_ as good as a _henge_, but then it doesn't really need to be."

Mickey sighed, scratching an oversized ear.

"Magic and chakra can be shaped in the same ways, but in the end they're still different forces," the mouse king surmised. He then frowned, looking about the bar carefully.

"Relax, I cast a privacy jutsu," Jiraiya said, taking another draw of his beer. "So, how did you get out of running your kingdom to come see me?"

"Simple. I left without telling anyone," Mickey raised an eyebrow at the white-haired ninja. "Since the _last_ time I met you I woke up with a hangover the size of a Gummi ship on top of a volcano."

"In a cupid costume, don't forget that," Jiraiya added with a grin. Mickey snorted.

"Minnie won't let me forget, that's for sure. Besides, as I recall _you_ didn't turn out much better."

Jiraiya cringed.

"I swear I had no idea what possessed me to enter that chocobo race… Though you have to admit, I did pretty well."

"You blew up the race track," Mickey pointed out flatly.

"So? I still won," the sannin insisted.

Mickey rolled his eyes again, thinking that if Jiraiya were not his friend he'd have knocked him into orbit with the Keyblade a long time ago.

He still might. But, business before pleasure and all that.

"The Heartless have been idle too long," Mickey said at last. "They slowed down after they conquered Hollow Bastion, but it's nothing like this. The world they destroyed just before they stopped was close to the worlds Leon, Yuffie, Aerith, and Cloud all came from."

Jiraiya hummed thoughtfully.

"At the same time, that organization I've been tracking, the one with the interest in the _Biju_ of my world, have been sighted on other worlds."

"Working with the Heartless, or against them?" Mickey asked. Jiraiya sighed, shaking his head.

"A little of both. A few worlds they've been defending from the Heartless in exchange for tribute, while a number of their members have helped the buggers conquer and destroy a few more. What the connection is, I haven't been able to figure out," the sannin reported, taking out his pipe and chewing thoughtfully on the end. The mouse king also adopted a thoughtful expression.

"I've locked the keyholes of as many worlds as I can, but there are only so many I can seal," Mickey sighed. "And if the Heartless get their hands on another Keybearer… It won't matter."

"Another one, hm?" Jiraiya asked. Mickey nodded.

"The legends do say that there were more than one. Possibly hundreds at one time, though for what purpose no one knows."

"Legends? They've descended into myth by now," Jiraiya snorted. He'd filled and lit his pipe, and let the soothing tobacco fill his senses. He blew a smoke ring, still looking thoughtful.

"Still no sign of Ansem?" The sannin asked. Mickey shook his head.

"Nothing. Considering how he remained behind to make sure the last civilians got off-world, I'd say my old friend is… But something in my gut just tells me he's still around." The mouse shrugged. "How, I haven't the foggiest. It just does."

Jiraiya smiled around his pipe.

"Gut feelings have their place too," he noted sagely. Mickey smiled back.

"Yeah…"

"Hey you!"

Both sannin and mouse king turned at the source of the noise. A blonde kid with piercing blue eyes, white sleeveless coat, and black knit cap on his head was scowling at them.

"Yeah, you two! What do you think you're doing here?"

Jiraiya raised his eyebrows at Mickey, who closed his eyes and laughed silently, gloved hand over his mouth.

"Sitting and talking… And drinking," Jiraiya explained slowly, as though speaking to a complete moron. Which the blond seemed to wish to prove himself as.

"You're outsiders! You're supposed to announce yourselves to the Disciplinary Committee before entering!" He said self-importantly. A taller, tanned youth with black hair and red shirt, accompanied by a blue-haired, red-eyed girl in blue strode up behind him.

"Yeah! Get up and show us some ID, before we knock you flat, ya'know?" The red-clad boy stated proudly, puffing himself up.

"Squashed," the blue-haired girl stated in a monotone.

Jiraiya smirked unpleasantly. Mickey rolled his eyes.

"Jiraiya…" The mouse said warningly. Jiraiya just grinned.

"Identification, hm? I'll have you know Miss Ruby is quite familiar with me. Isn't that right, Daisy dear? You'll vouch for me, won't you?"

The silver haired woman clicked her tongue disapprovingly, shaking her head, as she walked up to the trio.

"Now what have I told you three about coming in here? You're not legal aged yet, so out. Stop bothering Mr. Jiraiya and his friend!"

"Hey! This is Disciplinary Committee business! Back off, ya know?" Red said with nervous bravado. Blondie nodded and crossed his arms.

"We know what's best for this town, you don't! We're taking in this geezer and his buddy!"

Jiraiya's smirk became positively lethal. The Disciplinary Committee took no notice. Mickey, again, rolled his eyes.

"Jiraiya…" The mouse warned once more. The sannin shrugged and grinned.

"Meh… Waste of my time to teach these punks a lesson," Jiraiya stated dismissively. "I need to be going anyway. See you same time again?"

"Maybe earlier," Mickey answered carefully. The blond growled.

"Hey! Who you calling punks, you old-!"

Jiraiya vanished with a final wink at Ruby, a few leaves kicked by a breeze and a generous sum of coin on the table all to mark his absence. The Disciplinary Committee found that the 'old geezer's' friend had also vanished.

Ruby summarily kicked them out, leaving Seifer Almasy to angrily swear he'd make that old coot pay the price for humiliating him!

xxx

Twilight Town's clock-tower, on top of its train station, was a huge landmark and fantastic draw for tourists. A marble spear jutting into the sky, its cheerful bells could be heard miles away.

On a ledge near a few winged statues surrounding the top of the tower, a small girl with long brown hair, bright green eyes, and an orange dress sat, kicking her feet.

"Now what did I say about sitting up here?" Asked a calm, masculine voice. The girl turned her head and grinned happily.

"Mister Jiraiya! You're back!" She said happily, getting to her feet and rushing over to the old man. She gave him a hug, and Jiraiya returned it gingerly. Exactly what the small girl saw in him he'd never know.

_Well, I did save her life,_he thought to himself with a mental chuckle.

"Yes, but not for long," he told her. She immediately began to pout.

"But you're _never_ around! And I just moved here! And I don't have any friends, and Mommy's always busy, and-!"

"Woah, woah, take it easy Olette-chan!" Jiraiya laughed, patting her on the head. "Look, if you want some friends, you just have to take charge. Be confident."

A mischievous glint entered the old ninja's eye.

"Or beat up that annoying blond kid. That'll earn you _plenty_ of friends, I'm sure."

Olette looked unsure about it.

"Beat him up? But, but he's… He's head of Discipline and-!"

"And it's like me declaring myself ruler of Candyland," Jiraiya snorted. "Doesn't mean a damn thing. Knock him flat; I know you can do it."

The girl wavered a bit, but nodded, determination appearing in her eyes.

"I… I'll do it! Besides, he's always mean to me!"

"That's the spirit!" Jiraiya grinned. "Now then… Your mother gave you that envelope, right?"

Olette nodded, and fished a thick, tightly bound envelope out of her school bag, lying next to a gargoyle. She handed it to Jiraiya, whose grin turned slightly lecherous.

"Mister Jiraiya? Are you okay? What are you smiling about?"

"Oh, ahem, nothing," the sannin said, composing himself. He then gave her another big, caring smile, which she returned.

"Now, what did I teach you?" He prompted. The girl took a deep breath.

"'Hit the nose with the flat of your palm only. Heads are hard, stomachs and groins are soft and hurt lots.'"

"Good girl!" Jiraiya enthused. Olette moved forward and hugged him again, tightly.

"Please, promise you'll visit again soon, Jiraiya?" The girl asked, plaintively. Jiraiya's grin became a soft smile, as he patted her back with genuine affection.

"I promise," he said. "After all, Gallant Jiraiya keeps his promises!" With a heroic pose that made Olette giggle and clap, he took off, hopping from roof top to roof top. As he traveled, he opened the envelope and peeked inside, lecherous grin reappearing.

"Heh heh heh… Always knew she'd come through, ooh hoo hoo!" Jiraiya giggled.

Now, the sannin did have a soft spot for hard luck kids, and Olette certainly qualified as such. Her father, a farmer, had died and her mother had been forced to sell their meager homestead and move to Twilight Town, where it was somewhat difficult to find work at times. He would quite happily have helped support them (the money he made from Icha Icha _alone_ giving him a fortune that rivaled Scrooge McDuck's), but Olette's mother was not willing to accept charity.

Fortunately, she wasn't shy about _tastefully_ photographing her beautiful self…

"Ah, wonderful inspiration," Jiraiya sighed, as he headed east again… But not before he paused by the Sandlot. Looking down, he spotted the blond kid and his gang. With a smirk, he summoned a toad and gave him a few quick instructions. The amphibian complied.

"So then I said, 'hey, if you can't take the heat, get the hell out of here,'" Seifer was relating to his cronies, before he felt something land on his head with a wet _plop._ An orange face peeked at him over the brim of his hat. His eyes widened.

"GAAAAAAAAAH! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!"

Satisfied, Jiraiya turned and headed back for his Gummi ship.

xxx

Sakura was, for once, glad to have been the top kunoichi at the ninja academy. She'd memorized the emergency survival manual, which outlined how to survive with wounded teammates in hostile territory.

Drained of chakra as she was, Sakura still managed to drag Naruto and Sasuke to a hollow in between the roots of a gigantic tree. She gathered as much moss and as many branches as she could to conceal them, and make their hiding spot resemble just another part of the forest floor. That finished, she began to examine her teammates, both of whom were still out cold.

All this was done while she was very seriously considering panicking. Inner Sakura kept her calm and focused though, yelling encouragement and advice the inner personality had memorized.

_**Right… Pulse is faint but steady, blood pressure's stable, he's still got a high fever…**_ Sakura looked over Sasuke's face and blushed slightly.

_**You know…**_ Inner Sakura began, a perverted leer on her face.

_Not now,_ Sakura chided. Inner Sakura sighed.

_**Oh fine. Hmph. We could die at any moment and you're not taking the chance to, you know…?**_

_Now is not the time dammit!_

_**You are such a prude! C'mon, check out the goods of our future husband, SHANNARO!**_

_No! Now shut up! We still have to check Naruto!_

The pink haired girl moved to Naruto, blushing slightly at his severely torn clothing. It exposed his tanned, and surprisingly muscled, body. She then frowned as her eyes fell on his flat stomach.

_**What the heck is that? I don't think that Orochimaru guy had enough time to draw**___**this**___**elaborate a seal on him! And why?**_

_I don't know… It doesn't look anything like Sasuke-kun's seal,_ Sakura thought with a frown. Admittedly, she didn't know a whole lot about seals, but she had studied enough to know that the larger they were, the longer the preparation and the more resources needed to create it. Naruto's seal couldn't have been created in only a few _minutes…_

_**And he wasn't bitten,**_ Inner Sakura pointed out as well.

Sakura frowned, running a hand over Naruto's belly. Cautiously, she extended her chakra senses towards the seal.

_Scarlet, flames-!_

She quickly withdrew her senses, shaking and taking deep breaths. The killing intent put out by Orochimaru paled in comparison to the sheer _menace _she'd felt. Sakura scooted back, staring down at her trembling hands. She looked back at the unconscious Naruto… Before turning back to Sasuke.

_**Shouldn't we check him more thoroughly?**_

_After that? Look, I'm all alone, I have no idea what's wrong with them, we're stranded in the middle of the Chuunin exams-! I have enough stress as it is!_

She bandaged up Sasuke's cuts and bruises as best she could, before reluctantly turning back to Naruto's still form. She blinked at the fact that the cuts she'd seen on him before were all gone. She bit her lower lip and shook her head, before turning to her pack and rummaging for some food. After all the adrenaline, her hunger had finally caught up.

xxx

All throughout Training Field 44, night was falling. More than half the teams had been eliminated in the first few hours alone, falling to other ninjas or the natural hazards in the forest.

The tall, lonely tower in the center was silhouetted against the half-moon, a light that cast dark shadows wherever it touched.

Into the foreboding forest Temari stared, arms crossed over the windowsill. She rested her chin on her forearms.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?"

Temari rolled her eyes and turned her head to regard her brother.

"Speak for yourself."

Kankuro shook his head and walked next to her, peering out the window with her in silence for a few moments.

"What are you looking at?" He asked. Temari pointed to an outcropping on the tower, and Kanakuro's eyes widened.

"He's been sitting there ever since that chakra explosion," Temari spoke, her eyes shifting back to Gaara from the forest. He sat on the ledge, one arm on his folded knee, his unblinking eyes staring into the darkness beyond.

"That's pretty weird… Even for him," Kankuro allowed. Temari bit her lip.

"Do you… Do you think that it had something to do with that blond kid?"

Kankuro raised an eyebrow at his sister and scoffed.

"_Him?_ What makes you think he had anything to do with it?"

Temari frowned, lowering her chin into her arms even more.

"You saw how Gaara reacted around him… And that weapon of his…"

Kankuro rolled his eyes.

"Temari, the Keyblade's a myth. It's not like some giant key-shaped piece of crap could actually _do_ anything."

Temari snorted. "Made you back down."

"No, _Gaara_ made me back down," Kankuro retorted. "I'm telling you, that punk's dead and his stupid weapon's been taken for a souvenir."

Temari frowned thoughtfully and turned her gaze back to her youngest brother. He was still there, still staring, a strange look on his face. Rather than being devoid of emotion or filled with insane glee, his face had an expectant look. Probing, almost curious.

"Maybe you're right," she mumbled, standing up. She walked over to her bunk and unceremoniously slumped down in it.

_He's probably right… But still…_

It was an old story her mother had told her when she was little. When her father was not so mad, so cold. Before Gaara, when Kankuro was still a baby. It was one of the few pleasant memories she had from her childhood, filled with strict training and shadowy political games well before her father decided he wanted a demon container weapon.

It had a brave young man, who was given a weapon of incredible power and chaotic good. He was chosen to wield it, as his world died around him and his friends were lost to darkness. Across world after world he fought to save those he cared for, to save everything from plunging into eternal darkness. He met so many different peoples and saw so many wondrous things. Wish granting spirits in lamps, fish people who lived under the ocean, dragons and witches and demons…

The story always ended with the young man saving the day. Often at great personal risk and loss, but always did he pull through. Always did good triumph over evil.

When she died, when Gaara was born… When her father saw his children as merely means to an end, as tools… She hated her mother a little. Hated her for telling such wonderful stories, filling her with hope and happiness, and having all that good feeling shattered into oblivion by her father's ambitions and her uncle's hatred. She'd tried so hard to forget, but that blond boy…

_He's probably dead anyway,_ she told herself firmly. _Those were just stories. There are no happy endings. And there is no Keyblade._

With this she went to sleep, all the while Gaara sat outside the window, staring into the abyss.

xxx

Anko had seen a lot in her years of service to Konoha. Particularly as an apprentice to one of the most infamous, psychotic missing nin the village had ever had. The genin team before her was nothing she hadn't seen before. Or rather, what was left of them in the forest clearing, near the walls of the village.

And that was the problem.

"We found them this morning," a cat-masked ANBU reported flatly. "Judging by the decay the med ninjas found, they can't have been dead more than a day or two."

"Just in time for the chuunin exams," Anko noted flatly. "The jutsu that did this… I've seen it before."

"Then… It is _him_?" Asked an owl-faced ANBU, a hint of nervousness in his young voice. Anko rolled her eyes.

"His name is _Orochimaru_," she hissed in disgust. The ANBU stiffened, as Anko rolled her eyes.

_Newbies…_ She bent down and examined the corpses more closely. Her brown eyes narrowed, as she took a deep whiff with her nose.

"Grass nin."

"How can you tell?" The owl ANBU asked. Anko rolled her eyes.

"Because they smell like the grass nin at the exams." She stood up and glowered. "Combined with that explosion a few hours ago and looks like the old snake bastard's back in town." She turned to the cat ANBU.

"You, report this to the Hokage," she ordered, and the ninja vanished. Anko turned to the owl masked ninja with a slightly sadistic smirk.

"And you… Come with me. We're checking out some things."

"Um, wouldn't you prefer a full team?" He asked nervously. Anko's smirk didn't waver.

"Sorry, I'm pretty sure my rank is tokubetsu jounin. What's yours?"

"J-Just chuunin, ma'am," he replied nervously, Anko's killing intent (and no doubt reputation) affecting his verbal skills. The trench coat-clad kunoichi grinned.

"THEN WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU STILL STANDING THERE FOR? GET GOING!"

The owl ANBU was off like a shot, Anko right behind him.

_Newbies,_ she thought, only this time in twisted amusement as she savored the fear in the younger ninja.

xxx

"You told me you wouldn't interfere."

Maleficent smirked, not bothering to look at the speaker in the tree behind her.

"And I didn't…"

Orochimaru smirked. He'd played this game many times with the witch, and truth be told he enjoyed it on a perverse level. She was almost as cunning, ruthless, and powerful as he was. She'd make a good host body… If not for the fact that he wanted to wield chakra as well as magic, and that her body was completely wrong for taijutsu.

He was a ninja before anything else, and preferred the life he'd chosen.

His musings were cut off by Maleficent's next statement.

"I am merely here to observe."

"You really expect me to believe that?" The snake sannin hissed. "You think I don't know about your influence on Kabuto?"

Maleficent raised her eyebrows.

"He has considerable talent. If you are to finally wield the Heartless, I'd like to know just what kind of army you've built. The strength of their hearts, among other things."

She finally turned around, gaze icy cold on the snake sannin, who returned the gesture with a murderous glare full of his killing intent.

"You know that won't work on me. Don't forget who it is who controls the Heartless."

"Don't forget that you are on _my_ world," Orochimaru sneered. "Even the Heartless are not invincible." Maleficent smirked.

"I see… You are not _completely_ absent of sense…" She turned back again, and the sannin seethed.

"I will make an offering, a show of good will," Maleficent spoke then. Orochimaru frowned.

"What kind of… Offering?"

"I will grant the genin team from your village the power to summon and control the Heartless. If they prove themselves… Competent, then I will grant you the same power. If not… You will have to fine some other means of convincing me that my time has not been wasted on you."

Orochimaru smirked, even as insane rage blazed in his yellow eyes.

"Very well…"

The witch vanished, and Orochimaru left, in his mind repeating his vow that when he gained power over the Heartless, he'd enjoy watching Maleficent die. Slowly.

But for now… He had an old student to reunite with…

xxx

_"Iruka-sensei!"_

_The scarred-man looked up from his paperwork, and smiled happily at his favorite student._

Ex-student_, he reminded himself, but he'd prefer not to dwell on that. He smiled at him happily._

_"Naruto! What brings you here?"_

_The orange and black-clad ninja swung in through the open window and landed easily on the floor. He grinned broadly back at him._

_"Just visiting!"_

_Iruka frowned at his student. They'd talked little about his mission to Wave Country, and Iruka was nearly to the breaking point when it came to demanding answers from Naruto. The official report alone had nearly driven him to confronting Kakashi directly, though there was little he could do. Kakashi had prepared the genin as best he could, Iruka knew this, but..._

_It still hurt to be unable to do anything for his students._

_"Shouldn't you be meeting Kakashi?"_

_Naruto snorted._

_"He never shows up on time. Well, he does, just not when he says he will."_

_Iruka grimaced. Kakashi's 'punctuality' was infamous. He took a deep breath, and gave Naruto a serious look._

_"Naruto... Kakashi mentioned something in his report to the Hokage..." Iruka noted how Naruto's expression became stiff._

_"... Is there anything you want to talk about?" Iruka asked. Naruto bit his lip._

_"Is this about... The Kyuubi?"_

_"Have you spoken about it, to anyone?"_

_"No," Naruto replied. He smiled before summoning the Keyblade in his hand._

_"See? It's all... It's not like it was with the... The fox..."_

_"Its chakra?" Iruka asked. Naruto nodded and sucked a deep breath through his teeth._

_"It... She... I think, it talked to me in a dream."_

_Iruka also took a deep breath._

_"I... I see."_

_"She... It... Offered me power. To let me... Let me use its power." Naruto looked fearfully at Iruka, who merely stared at Naruto expectantly._

_"And?"_

_"And... And, aren't you wondering what I said?"_

_"No. Because I know you said no," the chuunin replied, a soft smile on his face. Naruto nodded, smiling back._

_"What I want to know, Naruto, is why you haven't talked to anyone else about this? Or why your sensei didn't talk about it!" Iruka shouted. Naruto cringed._

_"I only had it this morning!"_

_Iruka sighed._

_"Still... You should tell the Hokage about this."_

_"I know, it's just... I don't want the old man to worry..." Naruto sighed._

_"And really... What can he do? I can't get rid of the Keyblade... And I might use the Kyuubi's power again. I don't want to but... But what can I do? Is there some kind of jutsu I can use for this?"_

_Iruka closed his eyes sadly._

_"I don't know..." He reopened his eyes, and moved around his desk. He took Naruto into a hug, and Naruto tensed a little at the contact._

_"But we'll find out, I promise," Iruka said finally. Naruto nodded, smiling back._

It wasn't the first nightmare he had since he returned, and even after telling the Hokage, even after checking the seal, they continued. There was nothing that could be done, except trust in the Fourth Hokage… And Naruto.

Iruka grimaced, the light from the waning moon shining through his apartment window. He couldn't see the Forest of Death from here, but his memories provided enough background to imagine what his students might be going through.

He'd caught a few snippets of gossip saying how tough the competition was this year, not to mention that practically every ninja had felt that glimmer of the Kyuubi's power.

_Did you use the Kyuubi's power, Naruto?_

Willingly, he wouldn't, Iruka knew this, but the chuunin could remember the terror of the Kyuubi's power. More than its ability to topple mountains or cause tsunami with its tails, the suffocating chakra aura that stretched for miles made it so legendary, so terrifying. It made you feel utterly insignificant, like the ant underneath the heel of a boot.

The surge of the Kyuubi's power was nowhere near as strong as when the beast first attacked the village, but it was painfully familiar.

_And yet…_ He shook his head. What the panicking ANBU and ninja had seemed to miss was the fact that the Kyuubi's chakra hadn't been as hostile as before. It was muted, as though mixed with something else, something less malevolent.

He had no idea what had happened, the ANBU were keeping everything silent, but all the same… Iruka was comforted by the fact that, if Naruto had truly been killed there would have been a much, _much_ bigger explosion.

_How could Naruto go out with anything less?_

Despite the fear he had for his surrogate little brother, he couldn't help but smile at this. And hope, as tenuous as it seemed, grew inside him.

xxx

"Why hello, Anko-chan."

Anko's eyes narrowed, the familiar hiss of her sensei's voice behind her sparking anger inside her heart. He stood before her, dressed like a jounin from Otogakure, a sinister smirk on his face. She smirked back.

"You son of a whore… I'm actually _glad_ you're back."

"Oh really?" Orochimaru asked, amused. Anko nodded… Before blurring and slamming an elbow into the snake sannin's face.

"So I can kill you! You fucking bastard!" She roared, attacking with furious, agile and serpentine strikes, kicks, and punches. Orochimaru, amused, blocked every attack with ease, finally catching her right wrist and yanking her stomach into his knee in a quick, violent moment.

"Oof!" Anko huffed, as Orochimaru held her. Her skin crawled at his touch, and she glared hatefully up into the face of her former sensei.

"You've grown soft, weak," the snake sannin chuckled. "Still the mere girl I knew so long ago. Well, I can't say I'm surprised." He bent down and whispered in her ear, sadistic amusement in his eyes as she squirmed, trying to get away.

"You were a _failed_ experiment… Little more than a broken test tube, a discarded blueprint…"

"_Shut the fuck up!"_ Anko roared, snakes lashing out of her sleeves and driving into Orochimaru. Or at least they would, if he had not leapt away and swatted the hissing beasts away with ease. His smirk never faded.

"Oh, touched a sore nerve did I? Yes, I imagine it took some time to recover trust from this pitiful village… But they'll _never_ fully trust you, Anko-chan. They're ignorant, weak, _pathetic…"_

"I'd take every one of them, hooker and jerks included, over _you,"_ she hissed back, throwing a kunai. Orochimaru caught it between his fingers easily, tossing it aside.

"I'm sure… A pack of vermin is stronger together… But still no match for a predator," the sannin chuckled. Anko smirked.

"Oh really? I hear a certain _fox_ gave you some trouble today? Losing your touch in your old age, asshole?" The tokubetsu jounin taunted. A flash of real rage entered Orochimaru's eyes, a sign of his she'd been able to read, and her grin widened.

"A minor setback only, and I achieved my goal," Orochimaru went on, the anger dying in his eyes. But he'd lost control, which he _never_ did before.

"Oh?"

"The Sharingan will someday be mine," the sannin replied with a sickly smile. "And the Kyuubi brat, well… His _toy_ makes him no champion. One day… He too will fall, like all of you pitiful mortals."

"Too bad you'll never see that day, huh bastard?" Anko grinned. "_Sōjasōsai no Jutsu!"_

Two black snakes leaped out of her sleeves, locking onto Orochimaru's wrists with their fangs. Another pair of reptiles emerged and bit into Anko's wrists, and her smile became more peaceful.

"It's over… You lose… You should have _never_ taught me this technique…"

"I suppose not… You could have saved your pitiful life if I hadn't," Orochimaru grinned. He yanked the snake's fangs out of his wrists and tugged Anko to him, catching her in an embrace. Her eyes widened as he grinned, and bent down to whisper in her ear.

"Cancel the Chuunin exams for this… _and I will destroy the village…"_

He raised his head to smile down at his failed student, enjoy her hopeless expression… And instead met her smirk as a dozen explosive notes lit up in her jacket.

_KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!_

The explosion wiped out the equivalent of a city-block of the forest, and everything within in… Leaving the real Mitarashi Anko and the owl-masked ANBU to stare at the devastation.

"Did-Did you get him?" The ANBU asked. Anko sighed, eyes genuinely melancholy.

"No… Check the chakra signatures through the flames. He used a clone too. The whole thing was just to send a message."

"A…A message?" The ANBU asked. Anko nodded grimly.

"Yes… We'd better alert the Hokage. C'mon."

xxx

**AN: This chapter wasn't too hard to edit. I didn't add much seeing as it was more backstory. But it needed to be read. Onward to the next chapter.**

_Updated 12/13/07:__Did some additional editing and added a scene with Temari and Kankuro discussing the fall out from Naruto's attack (marked with a__(New)__at the end of the scene). As well as removing all mention of "dattebayo". As it's intended to be added onto the end of a sentence to emphasize it and make it sound tougher, for story purposes it has been replaced with a simple emphasis on certain words and, where appropriate, swearing._

_Updated 6/18/07:__Added a revised ending, with Anko's confrontation with Orochimaru. Also fixed a few spelling and grammar errors._

_I know, it's something of a filler chapter, but it's setting background for the future story. Plus, while updates are going to be a bit slower for the time being (Summer cold, among other things), I don't want to leave you, my loyal readers, with nothing._

_Hope I kept everyone in character for the most part._

_Due to very credible criticism by my beta reader, magic and chakra will be different forces. Shaped and manipulated in the same ways, but of fundamentally different forces._

_Hope you liked Jiraiya and Mickey's friendship, and a little peek into my interpretation of Twilight Town. You'll see it again, just not any time soon._

_Not writing a preview for the next chapter this time. Just know that'll show the end of the Forest of Death and get us into the third part of the Chuunin exams. As always, I welcome criticism and suggestions on various aspects of the story._


	15. The Forest of Death Part IITake 2

_**llVoice of Destiny/Inner Sakura**_

"Normal Talking"

_Thoughts/Sound Effects_

"_Flashback dialogue/Japanese/Emphasis of words"_

"**Demon speak"**

_A fanfiction originally by Andrew J. Talon and redone & continued by NanashiX_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Kingdom Hearts, Disney, or any other copyrighted material. The story idea, concept, and original are owned by Andrew Joshua Talon. The continuation is mine and I do this out of pure enjoyment and my love of the story. Note that I edit and add any elements that will benefit my continuation. If you the reader who has read the original feel that you wanted something different, now is the opportune time to tell me via Review or PM. Thank you for reading._

Key Through the Heart: Rebirth

xxx

Sakura had tried to get some sleep, lying blushingly between the two boys. It was a fitful rest, especially when she brushed up against Naruto or Sasuke and had to fight the urge to latch on, as though they were big teddy bears.

_**Warm, muscular, strong-**_

_SHUT UP ALREADY!_

Honestly, was she so frustrated and scared that she'd lost all reason? Cuddling up to _Naruto?_

With this cheering thought she managed to fall asleep… Only to be awakened as the wires she'd attached to her fingers were tugged.

_**The traps…!**_

A loud boom reverberated through the shelter, as her log trap was triggered. She extended her chakra senses and grimaced.

_Three signatures… all fresh._

"Oh, cute, _really_ cute," jeered a rough, young male voice. Sakura quickly checked Naruto and Sasuke again.

_**Damnit, both still out?!**_ She popped her only soldier pill in her mouth and steeled herself. As quietly as she could she created a single _bunshin_ to peek out of the front entrance of the shelter, as she eased herself through a gap in the roots behind the shelter.

She heard a few of her spring-launched kunai traps go off, and the chakra signatures of the assailants moved.

"Gah, this is so annoying! Look, hand over Uchiha Sasuke, and no one gets hurt! We'll let you keep your pitiful lives!" That same voice shouted again. Sakura backed into the bushes surrounding the small clearing, and finally spied the assailants.

_Those Sound nin from before!_

Kabuto had pointed them out, just before the exam had begun. A messy, black-haired boy wearing grey and black camouflage fatigues stood in the center, hands wrapped in bandages. A pale girl with long black hair and similar fatigues stood at his left, glaring. Finally, a hunched over figure, covered in bandages to the point he resembled a mummy, with an unusual metal gauntlet over his right arm, surveyed the area with his one visible eye.

Sakura frowned and formed a few handseals. Jutsu activated, she cleared her throat.

"What do you want with Uchiha Sasuke?" She asked, her voice echoing around the clearing. The mummy-guy adjusted his gauntlet as the spiky-haired guy snorted.

"Funny. Ventriloquist jutsu? It won't do much good against ninja from the _Sound_ village," he smirked. Sakura frowned.

"What do you want with Uchiha Sasuke?" She repeated, running her fingers over her equipment pouch and mentally doing an item check.

_Four kunai, four shuriken, two explosive notes, two flash notes…_

She'd used most of the remaining weapons to set up traps around their shelter. Even now, as the Sound kunoichi took another step forward, another trap was tripped and another set of kunai was fired. She dodged, and cursed. The spiky-haired guy growled, holding his hands up. From this distance Sakura could just make out tiny holes in his palms.

"Enough of this! Let's just summon them and kill them all!" He stated. The kunoichi cringed.

"I don't know… I mean, are you-?"

"Screw it!" He shouted, cutting her off. He held out a hand over the ground before him. The spot under his hand's shadow erupted into black smoke, which coalesced into a small, squat being. It was hunched over, two glowing yellow eyes peering out from twitching antenna. A pair of clawed hands grasped at the air, as the creature twitched and shook.

"All right, find her!" He ordered. The creature hopped forward, looking around curiously. Its pupil-less gaze looked on Sakura, and she shivered. The spiky-haired boy smirked.

"THERE!" From his outstretched hands a huge blast of wind issued, which Sakura barely dodged. Forced into the open she quickly made ten _bunshins _and rushed the Sound ninja, throwing a flash note above her illusions. As it flashed she kept her eyes closed, using her chakra senses to steer her in the direct of her targets.

"GAH! Die already!" Screamed the spiky-haired guy, and a blast of chakra-enhanced air came forward again. Sakura dove, covering her head as her _bunshins_ poofed out of existence. She grimaced as cuts appeared in her skin, before the wind lashing ceased. She leapt back up, throwing four shuriken at the spiky-haired ninja. He dodged, off-balance. A burst of chakra to her legs and Sakura was on him, her fist slamming into his stomach. With her other fist she slammed his jaw and leapt off to avoid his teammates from-

"GAH!"

-_**catching us,**_ Inner Sakura said sullenly. The mummy ninja had her by the ponytail. A backhand to the face sent her sprawling.

"Not bad, for a Leaf ninja," sneered the kunoichi. She sighed as the spiky-haired Sound ninja moaned. "Oh would you stop being such a pussy Zaku?"

"Look who's talking, Kin," he muttered back, getting to his feet. "That little bitch coulda broke my jaw!"

"Hmph. You complain too much," the mummy ninja stated flatly. "Get control of your summon."

Zaku looked over and groaned. The creature couldn't be seen.

"All right… Dosu, you kill the bitch. I'll deal with the Uchiha and the idiot." He got up and stalked over the shelter. Sakura struggled, trying to get out of Dosu's grip. Kin kicked her in the ribs, making her cry out.

"Silly little girl, playing ninja," she sneered. She grabbed Sakura's hair and yanked her close, breathing menacingly in Sakura's hair.

"Having such long, soft hair. Doesn't look like you take things very seriously," Kin further said with a smirk. Sakura kept her eyes closed, teeth gritted in pain… Before she slammed a fist into Kin's stomach, using a kunai to slash off her ponytail in the same movement. She leapt to tackle Dosu, but her ears exploded in blood as his gauntlet came near.

"AUGH!" She shrieked, as he punched her back. Dosu closed his visible eye, as though he was smirking.

"Shame… She's not too bad looking. Little flat," Dosu commented. Sakura grimaced, holding her ears. She saw Zaku approach the shelter, hands outstretched. She began shrieking out in warning, not able to hear herself but hoping she could alert Sasuke and Naruto in time…

A flash of green entered her vision, and Sakura saw the last person she'd ever thought she'd see.

"_OSSU_! I am Rock Lee, Konoha's Beautiful Green Beast! And I am here to save my beloved Sakura-san! Please retreat now!" The green-clad shinobi declared, assuming that same strange fighting stance from before, with one arm behind his back and the other forward. Absently, Sakura noted the squirrel on his shoulder.

"Um… Lee? Why is there a squirrel on your shoulder?" She asked, almost numbly.

Lee grinned.

"It was this squirrel, my beloved Sakura-chan, who led me to your location, so that I could defend you! Yes, the power of squirrels is the power of youth!"

_**Dream, yes… This must be a dream…**_ Inner Sakura mumbled. _**Why can't I have dreams where I'm between Sasuke-kun and Naru-?**_

_FINISH THAT SENTENCE AND DIE!_Outer Sakura thought viciously.

While our favorite pink-haired genin was contemplating a nervous breakdown, the Sound genin collectively blinked at Lee. Even the Heartless they had summoned stared, as though unable to make anything of Konoha's self-proclaimed Beautiful Green Beast.

"… Did someone drop you on your head when you were a baby?" Kin asked seriously. Lee shook his head.

"No, fair Sound kunoichi-san! Though Gai-sensei and I do often drop ourselves on our heads as part of our rigorous training! Shall I demonstrate it to you?" He asked in equal seriousness. Kin blushed at the same time she sweat dropped, while her male companions glowered.

"Enough of this! Kill the fruitcake and be done with it!" Zaku shouted, air cannons at the ready. Lee smiled confidently, his squirrel squeaking in a seemingly encouraging tone.

"You will not find that easy! _Konoha Senpū!"_ Lee shouted, leaping into the air and spinning to meet the Sound ninja leaping into the air. He kicked Zaku in the stomach, sending him flying into a tree directly ahead, and shifted his course to kick Dosu, sending him flying to the hard ground below. Kin gawked but had no time to react as Lee's third and final kick connected with her chest, slamming into the ground and tumbling away.

"Gah… This freak's tougher than he looks," Zaku mumbled, shaking his head. Sakura too was stunned by Lee's performance, and couldn't help her blush as he turned and gave her a thumbs up, perfect teeth glinting in the sunlight.

"Do not worry, Sakura-san! I will let no harm come to you! This I promise!"

"Well, too bad it's a promise you're gonna break!" Dosu stated, as the Sound ninja regrouped. They summoned several smaller, purple creatures that floated above them, similar to the black demon from before. Zaku smirked.

"Nightmare Chorus, attack!"

xxx

"Oh for crying out loud! Lee! Where did he go?" Tenten glowered, narrowing her eyes and scanning the forest. Neji had his Byakugan activated as he leapt with her.

"The idiot said he would only go to the bathroom," Neji snorted. "Probably got lost or…"

"Or?" Tenten prompted.

"Or he's fighting to defend Team Seven from those Sound ninja from before," Neji commented, shifting course and accelerating through the foliage. Tenten followed, biting her lower lip.

"Can… Can you see Naruto? The blond ninja."

The Hyuuga frowned, but widened his area of scan.

"Yes. I'd recognize his chakra signature anywhere, though it's dangerously low, like the Uchiha's."

"So that explosion yesterday?"

"They seem connected," Neji allowed, a frown growing on his face.

Three other chakra signatures appeared in his vision. He raised an eyebrow.

"Looks like some of our fellow Leaf ninja are giving the idiot some assistance, before us," he commented. Tenten nodded, her keen eyes picking out the battlefield.

"I can see that… Woah. What the hell are those things?"

Neji focused in. He could see the creatures moving about, but as far as what they were? They only appeared as black shapes in his bloodline's vision.

xxx

Lee fell back from Dosu, clutching his ears. Sakura had gotten some distance from the Sound ninja, stumbling after him. Though Lee had valiantly fought the floating purple creatures, their use of directed sound as a weapon slowed him down enough for Dosu to get in a hit with his Melody gauntlet.

"L-Lee!" She called out, her hearing gradually returning. However, it was like being underwater, everything she heard was distorted.

She caught Zaku yell something, but her eyes widened at their results. A dozen more of the same creatures from before appeared, the shadows converging on Lee.

"Lee! No!" Sakura shouted. She pushed some chakra into her fist and brought it down on one of the demons. The energy passed into the creature and turned it into dust. Encouraged, Sakura leapt after another before a fist slammed into the back of her neck. She fell, tasting blood in her mouth. She snarled in defiance, trying to get to Lee, but her assailant wouldn't let her go, and the creatures were closing in….

"_THUNDER_!" Blasts of lightening dropped on the dark creatures, blasting them to dust. The pressure on her neck abruptly vanished. Sakura didn't pause. She got back up and crawled over to Lee, checking him, and then dragging him out of the line of fire as Team Ten joined the battle. She couldn't help her incredulous expression as she saw Ino.

_Is she calling down lightening from the sky?! How the hell is she doing that?!_

"Die!" Ino screamed. "_FIRE_!"

Three blasts of flame burst from her staff at Zaku, who deflected them with his air cannons.

Chouji launched himself at Zaku next, calling out "_NIKUDEN SENSHA!",_ while Shikamaru threw kunai to make Kin fall back.

Chouji did little better against Zaku than Ino, his bulk spinning in place against the force of the Sound nin's hand cannons.

However, it did allow Ino to attack from the side. Leaping down, blonde hair whipping out behind her like a flag, and her staff blazing with power, she shouted her attack once more.

"_FIRE_!" Three blasts hit the ground under Zaku's feet, blasting him into a sprawling heap. Chouji broke through, still in Meat Tank form and barreling for Sakura and Lee.

"Ack!" She shouted, dragging the unconscious _taijutsu_ specialist out of the path of the Akimichi. They tumbled, and she found herself under the extremely heavy Lee.

"Gah…" She muttered, struggling out from under the mercifully still unconscious Lee.

"Oh, sorry Sakura!" Chouji shouted. Sakura turned to glare at Chouji, before her eyes widened.

"CHOUJI, LOOK OUT!" She shouted, as a huge, black creature that resembled the Akimichi in his Meat Tank jutsu form appeared. Chouji turned around just in time to be bowled over by the creature's charge, flying and tumbling into a tree root.

"Oooh… What hit me?" He muttered. Chouji shook his head and dodged as the monster charged for him again, and formed handseals.

"_Bubun Baika no Jutsu!"_ Chouji shouted, his arms growing to massive size and slamming down on the beast's head. He crushed it into a cloud of black smoke, but before he could savor his triumph two more appeared.

"All right! Take this! _NIKUDEN SENSHA!"_ He became a giant ball of human flesh once more and rolled at full against the two charging creatures. Sakura ducked as they rammed into each other, bouncing off into the directions they'd come from. Chouji's technique failed with a poof of smoke, leaving him lying dazed against a tree trunk, while his adversaries got back up and began to lumber for him, through slowly.

Shikamaru, in the meantime, was finding himself occupied. Kin summoned flying Heartless, that resembled small lanterns floating in the air. They were all purple, and fired sonic blasts after him that he was hard-pressed to dodge. His shadow jutsus were little good while he was on the move, and he had to be as the little demons kept swarming him.

"Man, this is too troublesome…" He muttered, jumping to a branch and flipping onto the top, as the flying lantern demons flew under him. He tossed an explosive tag after them and leapt away, a small smirk emerging on his face as the creatures were blown to smithereens.

"You little punk! I'm going to kill you!" Kin shouted, throwing kunai of her own. Shikamaru blocked them, cursing as he spotted Zaku recovering from Ino's attack. Said kunoichi was occupied with several larger black creatures Dosu had summoned. Shikamaru frowned.

_Don't know what this'll do, but…_ He engaged his family's signature jutsu and reached out, grabbing the shadows of a few smaller creatures nearby. They just _looked_ at him and sunk back into the ground, and his shadow lines seemed to swell as they followed them back _to him._

"Crap, this is just not my day," Shikamaru growled, disengaging the jutsu and leaping away as the demons continued to increase in number.

"Ino, if it's not _too_ much trouble-"

"I've got my _own_ problems, Shikamaru! Deal with it!" Ino shrieked back, ducking a swing from a large black creature and blasting a purple, lantern-shaped one with a fire blast. She cursed-She was already low on chakra, having to use so many high level spells in such a short amount of time.

"Where's Naruto when you need him? Or Sasuke?" She muttered in anger and concern.

A massive spike of chakra from behind caught her attention. She spun around, eyes widening at the sight. For a moment she was concerned the Sound ninja would take advantage of her shift in attention, but a quick check revealed she didn't have to worry.

They were just as focused on the dark figure, surrounded by a towering maelstrom of burning, demonic chakra. The figure looked up, red Sharingan eyes blazing, as a smile came over his face.

Normally, Ino would have been happy to see a smile on Sasuke's face, but this…

Combined with the terrifying chakra pressure, bizarre markings spreading across his body like a rash, and frightening, almost insane glint in his eyes…

_Sasuke-kun, what the heck happened to you?_ She wondered, clutching her staff more tightly.

xxx

Sasuke had to admit… He hadn't expected to wake up feeling this _good._Hell, part of him thought he'd never wake up again. His promise, once more, falling to the might of the forces opposed to his vengeance.

But _this…_

He felt a giggle come up from within him, and he let it out as he continued to look at his hands. Chakra, visible chakra swirled around him in a maelstrom. According to his Sharingan, it was dense, energetic, _powerful…_

Sasuke looked at the broken _chokuto_ in his hand, one swiftly becoming covered by black stripe-like markings. He grinned. He felt like he could take on and defeat_anyone._

Instinctively he focused some of his new chakra to his broken blade, and the burning energies took the form of a long, jagged sword. Almost like the wing of a raven, it wavered and changed as though a cross between smoke and feathers.

He giggled again, feeling _giddy._ His thoughts seemed to rush about at random, until they settled on one thing:

_I want to fight someone…_

He looked out over the clearing, seeing the demons, and some of his teammates. The unconscious Naruto behind him didn't matter. Naruto couldn't fight, so he had no interest-

_Sakura… Injured…_ She was staring at him, eyes and mouth wide, as she crouched near the limp body of Rock Lee. He stared at her, unfamiliar feelings welling up in him. They seemed to be summed up in one word:

_MINE…_

"Who did that to you, Sakura?" He asked, and in an instant he was before her, staring down, smiling. She was staring back at him, shocked, moving slowly, so _slowly,_ but he didn't mind. Everything seemed to be moving so quickly and slowly at the same time and Sakura was here. Sakura was hurt.

Sakura had been hurt. Which meant she had been fighting.

_MINE, FIGHT, MINE!_

"Who?" He asked again. He heard a laugh. Identified the source.

"We did, Uchiha! And we're going to do worse to you!" Chakra building up in his arms, wind merging with it…

Sasuke simply took Sakura's hand and pulled her up, before grabbing Rock Lee and tossing him out of the line of fire, before pulling Sakura away. She was gripping his hand tightly, still staring, eyes wide. He felt more stares.

_FIGHT, KILL, MINE!_

His blade lashed out and struck through one of the demons circling around. It dissolved-Hardly interesting to him. Still, maybe killing more would be interesting? The boy who hurt Sakura wasn't strong enough to be a challenge…

"What the hell are you?" Said boy shouted in disbelief. Sasuke grinned.

_Hurt Sakura, hurt Sakura, hurt him, MINE, no one hurts mine…_

He was behind the boy now, blade having moved so quickly that Sasuke barely noticed him screaming as his hand came off. Sasuke kept grinning. _Pain to others… This power… It increases when I cause pain…_

"You seemed proud of your hands," Sasuke noted casually, as the Sound ninja fell to the ground, gripping his bloody stump in agony. "I took one. Shall I take another?"

"Sasuke, stop it! Please! This isn't you!" Sakura shouted. Sasuke ignored her, slashing apart another demon as it tried to attack him. _Pests…_

"You're not laughing now…" Sasuke added. He held the blade up, savored the terror in the eyes of the Sound ninja, grinned just that much more…

"Bastard, what the _hell_ are you doing?!"

Light in the back of his chakra senses. Hope, strength, power… Sasuke grinned and giggled again, turning back to see Naruto stumbling out of the shelter, Keyblade in hand.

"Dead last… Fight me," he stated, holding his new dark blade out in challenge.

xxx

_Okay, this wasn't what I was expecting when I woke up this morning,_ Naruto decided.

The Keyblade and his own chakra senses were screaming _not right_ about the chakra now enveloping Sasuke. Not to mention the weapon he now wielded.

It resembled a curved bat wing, cruel spines on the inner blade that glistened blood red in the sunlight. The guard of the blade was also wing-like, only pure black and feathered, forming protection for Sasuke's knuckles but only on one side of the hilt.

The most prominent feature of the weapon, however, was the circular emblem between blade and guard. It was blood red, with a single black circle in the center and three black tadpole-shaped spots swimming around it. It was a perfect Sharingan, though Naruto didn't know this.

_Is that thing a Keyblade too?_ Naruto thought, disturbed. If it was, it seemed as dark as the Kyuubi blade… And potentially just as powerful.

_Crap, what am I going to do?_ The blond thought frantically, as Sasuke advanced, still grinning disturbingly.

Pale arms suddenly closed around Sasuke from behind in an embrace, and Sakura's sobs could be heard over the commotion.

"Sasuke-kun, please! Please, stop! This isn't you! This _can't_ be you! Please!" She cried, holding him tightly. Sasuke continued to stare down Naruto, black blade in his hand. The blond kept his Keyblade at the ready should the Uchiha still attack.

The dark chakra began to fade, as the black markings began to recede from Sasuke's skin. He collapsed, panting heavily, as his once more broken _chokuto_ fell from his grasp.

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief (and a bigger one when the Sound nin dispelled the Heartless they'd summoned). Still, he held out his Keyblade in challenge if they tried anything.

The mummy-like one (his team-mates had called him Dosu) stepped forward, sleeve-covered hands raised in a peaceful expression, while Kin tried to stem the bleeding from Zaku's wrist. The handless-Sound ninja was obviously trying not to cry, but the pain had to be intense.

Naruto returned his attention to Dosu, who revealed a scroll. The Sound ninja tossed it to Naruto, who caught it with a frown.

"What's this?"

"Our scroll," Dosu replied. "We must get our comrade medical attention… Mark my words, however, Uzumaki Naruto that we will meet again. You will not be so… Fortunate, next time," he finished flatly. Naruto narrowed his eyes back.

"How did you know my name?" He asked.

Dosu merely smirked and leapt away into the shadows, soon followed by Kin supporting Zaku.

Naruto growled. This just didn't feel right…

"Ugh…" Groaned someone nearby. He turned and gaped at the downed Chouji.

"Chouji! Hey! You okay?" He called, rushing over and kneeling next to the large shinobi. Naruto was a poor student, true, but since first aid had been taught at the start of the academy he'd recalled a lot of what had been taught.

_Okay, chakra levels are low but not dangerously… Pulse is steady…_ _And, um…_

Okay, maybe not _much,_ but Chouji looked all right. He sat up and grimaced, rubbing his head.

"Ow… What hit me? Naruto? You okay?" Chouji asked, looking concerned. Naruto grinned. Good old Chouji. Even when he'd gotten his ass kicked around, he still put others first.

"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks you guys showing up… What happened?"

"Well, we saw Forehead and Spandex Boy fighting off Sound Ninja, and spotted your chakra signatures," Ino huffed, leaning against her staff demurely.

"You didn't look like you were in any condition to fight, so we dropped in."

"Troublesome," Shikamaru mumbled as he walked over. "Those summons of theirs were strange… Never seen or heard of anything like that."

Ino rolled her eyes.

"Since when do you pay attention to anything other than clouds and _shogi?"_

Shikamaru shrugged.

"Sometimes it's less troublesome to pay attention," he said, walking over to Chouji. The large bodied genin smiled happily, and Naruto got up to check on the rest of the Leaf ninja.

He was treated to the rather amusing sight of Tenten shaking the hell out of Lee.

"YOU IDIOT! You have any _idea_ how long we've been looking for you? And why the hell did you go off on your own anyway?!" The weapons specialist demanded. Lee, though spinny-eyed, managed a coherent response.

"Uh… I had to… Save Sakura-chan, Tenten-san! I could not abandon her to such an unyouthful fate!"

Above on a tree branch, Hyuuga Neji snorted. He clearly looked impatient, and shot Naruto a glare, as though he were responsible for the time his team was wasting. Naruto just smirked back and looked over at Sakura and Sasuke.

"Sakura-chan, you okay?"

The pink-haired girl nodded, fussing over Sasuke, who looked rather annoyed about it. Ino walked over and began fussing as well, which led the two kunoichi to arguing a bit.

"Leave Sasuke-kun alone, Ino-Pig!"

"Haven't I earned some time with him, Forehead? I did save you and him, after all."

Sasuke's grunt and glare at _that_ caused her to quickly add:

"Um, not that _you_ need saving, Sasuke-kun! But Forehead here, she's so _helpless…_ Look at your hair!"

Sakura's hand went up to her messily shorn locks, and she winced, as though Sasuke would find her hideous now. With a sigh, Ino stood up, took a kunai, and sat behind Sakura. The pink-haired girl blinked.

"Huh?"

"Look, I'll just fix up your hair, okay?" She said, trimming Sakura's pink locks carefully. Sasuke got up, stubbornly, and walked away, looking at Naruto with a demanding look on his face.

"Our gear?" He asked. Naruto cocked his head to the tree hollow, and Sasuke grunted, stalking over. The blond rolled his eyes.

_Even after all that he's still got that stick up his ass…_

"Hey Naruto?" The blond looked up at Tenten, who had left Lee alone and now approached him.

"Yeah Tenten?" Naruto asked, giving her a small smile. She actually seemed to blush, but pressed on.

"That… That explosion yesterday… What happened there?"

Naruto laughed uneasily.

"Er, well… Let's just say a new move of mine didn't work out exactly as I'd planned…"

"Are you kidding? We could feel it from a mile away!" Tenten emphasized. "Just what kind of move was it anyway? Because if that was how it was when it wasn't 'working out as planned', then…" She grinned and shrugged a bit. Naruto grinned back nervously.

"Um, well… If I ever manage to do it again, you'll be the first to know, heh…"

Sakura walked over, finishing wrapping her forearms in bandages. She held up a Heaven scroll happily.

"Hey Naruto, Ino-Pig's willing to trade us the scroll we needed for the extra Earth scroll we got from the Sound ninja."

"All right! Third stage, here we come!" Naruto crowed, handing it over.

"Just try not to blow up any more parts of the forest again, Naruto," Ino quipped dryly. Sasuke, now with his gear back on his pack, shot Naruto a glare to which the blond just shrugged. Considering how Sasuke had acted while in that weird mode… With that dark blade… He didn't want to risk provoking the Uchiha into summoning it again.

_At least, not until I'm strong enough to fight him off,_ he added mentally, tightening the grip on his Keyblade.

"Yeah, yeah, same to you fire bug," he returned to Ino with a smirk. The blonde stuck her tongue out and headed out, Shikamaru following with a sigh and a "troublesome", while Chouji bounced after.

"Tenten, Lee, let's go," Neji commanded. Tenten winked at Naruto.

"I'll see you at the tower, Naruto-_kun_," she teased, before leaping off. The blond couldn't help but blush just a bit at that. Lee staggered afterwards, giving Sakura a grin and thumbs up.

"OSSU! I will see you soon, Sakura-san! Naruto-san, Sasuke-san, I look forward to meeting you in the next part of the exam!" With that, he leapt off after his team into the trees.

"Man, is that guy weird," Sakura noted, shaking her head. Though Naruto saw the small smile on her face as she said it.

"C'mon," Sasuke said irritably. "If we move at full speed we make it to the tower before nightfall." He jumped up into the foliage and took off. Naruto paused and shot a grin at Sakura. She frowned and narrowed her eyes at him.

"What?"

"I _saw_ you… Smiling at Lee. Someone getting over her obsession with emo boys?"

"Shut up Naruto!" She bawled, jumping off after the Uchiha. Naruto sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Well, it's a start," he decided. "Either she wises up, or the bastard gets wise…"

Sure, Sasuke was an asshole, but when someone puts their life on the line for you, they kind of grow on you. Even if they were arrogant clan heirs with sticks up their butts.

And Sakura, well… He just wanted her happy. He saw that she desperately needed someone to either make her happy, or help her find a way to it herself, and Naruto hoped he could be that person.

"Aw dammit, I'm getting all mushy and introspective… Again," he noted in disgust. He glared at the Keyblade. "This is all _your_ fault, you know." Not getting an immediate response the boy huffed before moving on.

He leaped after his comrades, switching his thoughts to the tower, and third part of the exam to come. Trying to keep his thoughts off Sasuke's transformation, and that dark blade that was frighteningly familiar…

xxx

Not too far away, Kabuto's team had caught up with him. The medic ninja was looking into the distance as his comrades landed on the branch he stood on, flanking Kabuto on both sides.

"You have the scrolls?" He asked. Misumi nodded.

"Took 'em off a Mist team and a Stone team. Small fry," he said flatly. Yoroi snorted.

"The Mist ones were trying to set up an ambush near the tower with a pathetic genjutsu. Easy pickings. As for the Stone… Feh. Insects."

"Good," Kabuto spoke. "We should find Zaku's team. They suffered rather severe injuries fighting Sasuke-kun."

"So, the Uchiha survived?" Yoroi asked. Kabuto nodded.

"As did the Keybearer… Orochimaru will be pleased." He crouched. "Come-We have a limited amount of time before gangrene sets in."

Yoroi and Misumi both smirked behind their masks at the implication, and followed Kabuto. One of those hotshot genin punks being in pain _never_ got old...

They were not disappointed.

"AUGH! God damn it, Kabuto you shit! Couldn't have gotten here _sooner?!"_ Zaku demanded, cradling what was left of his hand. Kin stood back a ways, eying Kabuto warily, while Dosu crouched near their injured teammate.

"You can help him, I presume," Dosu spoke quietly. Kabuto smirked and knelt, pulling out a scroll from his pack. Releasing its seal in a burst of smoke, the medic produced an elegant, metallic hand. Zaku gazed at it in wonder, even as Kabuto unwrapped the crude bandages around his stump.

"This is but one of a few experimental replacement limbs I have been working on… And carrying with me," Kabuto explained at Dosu's look of suspicion. Even Kabuto wasn't good enough to predict this happening.

"Force some of your chakra into it, and it will bind automatically with your flesh.

Zaku did so, directing some of the energy into his wrist-And screaming in agony as it glowed. Kabuto grabbed Zaku's wrist and held him still, forcing some of his own healing chakra into his arm. Zaku bit his lip and squelched his screams, as the pain gradually subsided. He experimentally flexed his new metal fingers, and smiled as they responded to his will.

"This hand is very strong. Direct sufficient chakra into it and you can punch through solid marble. But be warned-Do not overexert yourself. You may burn all of your chakra if you are careless," Kabuto stated flatly. Zaku nodded, as Kabuto stood up and looked at the whole team.

"Now then… Orochimaru will want to hear how you used the Heartless in battle. I will take your report to him. So, why don't you start at the beginning?"

Xxx

**AN: And thus the third and final part of the update. Again I leave you with the original author's notes to make sure you get the full experience as well as an omake by AJT themselves. It is around this time that I ask you all to read and review and if you wish for your omake to be put in send it to me and I will see which one will be shown. Thank you all for your patience and be ready for the prelims. **

**PS: I also ask you all to check my newest story _Bad Day. _It is something that I am working on because much of what I can do with is fresh and fun to write. If you have the time, check it out!**

_Updated 12/13/07:__Did some additional editing, as well as removing all mention of "dattebayo". As it's intended to be added onto the end of a sentence to emphasize it and make it sound tougher, for story purposes it has been replaced with a simple emphasis on certain words and, where appropriate, swearing._

_Updated 6/18/07:__Extended Lee's battle with the Sound ninja, and gave him his squirrel. I loved that scene in the anime and can't believe I forgot it! Also expanded the scene with the Sound Ninja surrender and the aftermath, as it needed more meat to it._

_So ends the Forest of Death. No Mist ninja ambush this time around. Whether they died or not will be revealed in time._

_I had originally wanted Sasuke and Naruto to fight, but considering Naruto's exhausted condition I didn't want to press my luck as far as keeping to canon limitations of the characters._

_I gave Chouji a bigger role in this fight than in the canon I think. He took out a Heartless on his own, which is no mean feat, but I explain it being his strong heart and the fact his techniques fill him with chakra, which is close enough to magic to do enough harm to Heartless._

_Also, any complaints about the characters not being at such and such a power level or should be at such a level will be dutifully ignored. Not out of malice but because it's my story and I'll write it as I see fit. Again, I'm trying to translate the mechanics of a video game world to an anime world, which is no easy task if you're trying to do it right._

_I tried to base Sasuke's curse seal episode on some written experiences of people on mood altering drugs. Hopefully I did it reasonably well and didn't make him too mushy concerning Sakura._

_Hope you Zaku fans like the fact he's gone Darth Vader. His battles will certainly prove interesting._

_Is Sasuke's new weapon the Soul Eater? Sort of. It's a magic sword based on the Keyblade in that it's an expression of its wielder's will and power, but corrupted and far less powerful in the long run. I wouldn't mind suggestions for its name._

_And, as always, please review!_

_To make up for the relatively short chapter, here's an omake. Feel free to write and submit your own via personal messenger or email:_

Omake: What Kind of Demon Again…?

Kakashi blinked as he faced off against Zabuza. _Is that the Kyuubi's power…? But, it doesn't feel like it…_

Zabuza also blinked at the unusual chakra signature. He focused his eyes beyond the mist to the mirrors Haku had surrounded her prey in.

Within the mirrors, Haku gaped at the sight before her. The Uchiha was down, the strange chakra was growing ever more powerful from Naruto…

Who, instead of attacking, merely grinned at her while leaning on a red chakra tail.

"Prepare to be bounced, cause that's what ninjas do the best! Woo hoo hoo hooo!"

With that, Naruto bounced about his chakra aura's shape beginning to resemble the profile of a certain stuffed tiger.

"_Oh the wonderful thing about ninjas, is that ninjas are a wonderful thing! Their tops are made outta rubbah! Their bottoms are made outta springs! They're bouncy trouncy rouncy fun fun fun fun fun! Oh but the most wonderful thing about ninjas, is that I'm the greatest one! I'M, the greatest one!"_Naruto concluded.

"_KAWAIIII!_" Haku squealed, before leaping out of her mirrors to glomp the bouncing ninja.

Zabuza groaned, as Kakashi unsuccessfully smothered a laugh.

"Her one weakness…"


	16. Shadows that Bind to Darkness Once More

_**llVoice of Destiny/Inner Sakura**_

"Normal Talking"

_Thoughts/Sound Effects_

"_Flashback dialogue/Japanese/Emphasis of words"_

"**Demon speak"**

_A fanfiction originally by Andrew J. Talon and redone & continued by NanashiX_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Kingdom Hearts, Disney, or any other copyrighted material. The story idea, concept, and original are owned by Andrew Joshua Talon. The continuation is mine and I do this out of pure enjoyment and my love of the story. Note that I edit and add any elements that will benefit my continuation. If you the reader who has read the original feel that you wanted something different, now is the opportune time to tell me via Review or PM. Thank you for reading._

Key Through the Heart: Rebirth

Xxx

**AN: That's right people I'm back. From a long unwanted hiatus I have come back. And I have some good news and some, well not bad news, but it upsets me sort of. The upsetting thing is the fact that I may need to go back and edit Behold the Mimic. It sucks but I feel like there are some plot holes and some cliché things. But good news is I have made a redux of another story of mine. Breaker of Truth is what it is called. I also have another story as well as a few updates to things. Anyways thank you for reading!**

Xxx

Iruka sighed happily as he shut off the shower, pushing aside the curtain and letting the steam waft into the air. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he stepped over to the sink and reached for his toothbrush.

A tug on his entire body, a cloud of smoke, and a coughing fit later found Iruka staring at Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, in the middle of the forest.

"Iruka-sensei?" Naruto ventured nervously. Iruka groaned, and made sure his towel was secure.

"Yes Naruto, nice to see you too. And alive, though your timing is as good as ever," the Chuunin scowled. Sakura blushed heavily.

"Um, I'm sorry sensei! We just, um, saw that we needed to open the scrolls, and, well… Uh…" The pink-haired girl averted her eyes.

Iruka sighed, and shook his head. He smiled.

"Well, can't be helped. I'm glad to see you all made it through. Come on, let's get you in." Stiffly he turned and began walking into the imposing tower, Team Seven following. They went down a hard stone hallway, finally reaching a pair of large stone doors. Iruka deftly shoved them open and walked through, ignoring the gawks he attracted from other ninja in the vast chamber. Particularly from Mitarashi Anko, who licked her lips and smirked as the Chuunin approached. Iruka fought down his blush.

"Team Seven has made it, with both scrolls and all members," Iruka reported in a business-like tone, not looking in the direction of any snickers he heard. Anko grinned.

"Oh, I can see that," she purred suggestively.

_Damnit, damnit, damnit!_ He mentally chanted to himself as he blushed. The purple-haired woman's grin grew.

"Well, if that's all, then I'll just be going," Iruka said flatly, turning and heading back for the exit, one hand securely around his towel.

"Wait up just one minute… Iruka, was it?" Anko called. He sighed and turned around, as Anko walked up, still grinning.

"The Hokage wanted to talk to you about something when you came here… So stick around. The place could use some eye candy." She winked, which made Iruka's blush even worse.

"Do you have a change of clothes for me?" He asked. Anko grinned.

"You can send for them, but it'll take a while…"

"Dandy," Iruka stated. "Well, no reason for you three to stand around all day. The quarters for the teams should be in the same place…"

With that, Iruka turned and walked out the double doors, his face burning bright red at the cat calls and whistles that followed. Naruto followed, also rather embarrassed for his sensei and glaring back at Anko, who merely smirked sexily.

"This is not what I was expecting," Sakura mumbled, her inner self chanting _**Look! Look! Look! Damnit, so we're promised to Sasuke! Doesn't mean we're dead!**_

_But it's Iruka-sensei!_

_**So? He's hot for an older guy!**_

_And WAY too old for me…_

_**Not too old for you to just look, you prude…**_

Naruto blinked and stared as Sakura's face switched between teasing and murderous. He gulped, and increased his pace to match Iruka's.

"Er… Iruka-sensei? What's with Sakura-chan?"

Iruka sighed and shook his head.

"Naruto, there are some things about women you're just going to have to find out for yourself…"

"Indeed," stated Kakashi, appearing behind them. Naruto and Sakura immediately began talking at once.

"Kakashi-sensei, am I glad to see you! In the forest, we got attacked by this transsexual-freak-!"

"He bit Sasuke-kun and-!"

"We fought this huge battle, and I totally kicked ass-!"

"Naruto got eaten by a snake and I had to drag us all to safety-!"

"WHAT?!" Iruka bellowed into the conversation, making Sakura and Naruto flinch. Sasuke snarled at his teammates.

"Damnit, you shouldn't have told him about it!" The Uchiha seethed.

"Oh, what, we shouldn't be _worried_ about you? The great, _invincible_ Sasuke bastard?" Naruto shot back. Sakura bit her lower lip but stood firm.

"Kakashi-sensei needs to know… And besides Sasuke-kun, you're not the only one that Orochimaru messed with!"

The temperature in the hallway seemed to drop ten degrees, as both Iruka and Kakashi wore twin expressions of shock.

"Orochimaru?!" Iruka gasped. Kakashi grabbed Sasuke by the shoulder and looked into his eyes.

"What did he do to you? Tell me!" The jounin demanded. Sasuke scowled.

"He… Bit me… And put a weird seal on me," he stated, extremely reluctantly.

"Where?" Sasuke turned slowly to one side, lifting up his hair from the back of his neck. He gritted his teeth as he felt it react, as though the seal was unwilling to be seen.

"… I see," Kakashi stated simply, flatly. He turned to Naruto and Sakura.

"You two are alright otherwise, correct?"

Naruto flinched, and Kakashi mentally noted that he would have to teach the blond better control of his emotions.

"Um, the guy put this seal… On me too… He didn't bite me! Just used his hand and put it… On my stomach," Naruto got out, eyes indicating the significance of 'stomach'. Kakashi sighed.

"All right… Naruto, Sakura, go with Iruka to the infirmary and get checked out. I'll be by soon to see your seal, Naruto, but for now I need to seal Sasuke's. _Immediately,"_ he finished in a tone that would clearly tolerate no dissent. Sasuke's scowl deepened, but he followed his teacher anyway, ignoring the concerned expression on Sakura's face.

"Kakashi-sensei, you'll take care of Sasuke-kun, right?"

"Yes, I will. Now go. Oh, and Iruka?"

The Chuunin frowned.

"Yes Kakashi?"

"Might want to see to the towel," the jounin said quietly, with a hint of amusement in his tone. Iruka looked down and blushed heavily. His towel was nearly undone. With a scowl he pulled it up and tightened it around his waist.

"Yeah, thanks," he snorted, ignoring the blushing Sakura as he led her and Naruto down the hallway towards the clinic in the tower.

Unseen by the Leaf ninja, a single eye floated at the top of the hallway, watching their progress, before dissolving into sand.

Xxx

The Third Hokage sighed as he made his down the hospital hallway. His long robes waving with every step, his keen eyes found the door he was seeking. Stepping up to it, he knocked.

"Come in," was the reply, and the Hokage entered, the hospital door sliding open with barely a whisper.

Leaning over his daughter, Ichiraku Teuchi was looking over her still form with anxiety. Sarutobi closed the room door behind him and approached, keeping his distance out of habit. Protector the Hokage may be, but sometimes a little distance was needed between the shield and the target.

"Naruto made it to the tower, safe and sound," he began without preamble. Teuchi turned away from Ayame and nodded, a slight smile on his wrinkled face.

"Good… I take it though, he ran into some trouble?"

"Orochimaru," Sarutobi said simply, and the current ramen chef bared his teeth in a snarl.

"The snake…? What's he doing back here?"

"At a guess, nothing good," Sarutobi said quietly, discretely casting a privacy jutsu around the room. "Combined with our recent diplomatic problems with Suna, and something seems to be brewing."

"Invasion?" asked Teuchi. Sarutobi frowned.

"Possibly… Countries in desperate straits do not always see reason. But enough of that. What is her condition?" Sarutobi nodded to Ayame. Teuchi sighed, rubbing the back of his head.

"Even my master couldn't have predicted Naruto getting the Keyblade, and his notes on anything like _that_ occurring were purely theoretical. It was considered almost impossible." Sarutobi chuckled.

"Well, he _is_ Konoha's most surprising ninja," the Hokage noted. The ramen chef sat down in a nearby plastic chair, one hand to his chin in thought. Sarutobi nodded and became serious once more.

"He's changed… Not as though he's being influenced, but more like he's being truer to himself. More mature, more thoughtful…" Sarutobi smirked slightly. "_Far_ more sarcastic…"

"The Keyblade seems to bring out the true power of its bearer's inner self, not to mention it serves to link his heart to those he cares about," Teuchi mused. He shook his head as Sarutobi raised an eyebrow.

"You mean… That's what happened here? He formed a link to Ayame?"

"Looks that way," Teuchi agreed. "Whether it was acting to increase his resistance to… His tenant's influence, or increase his power… Or both… It's hard to tell."

"She can't tell you?" asked Sarutobi. The ramen chef shook his head.

"When she came to she didn't know what had happened. I brought her here to be checked out just in case, but everything's… normal, for lack of a better term."

"Normal according to the medic ninja… Or normal according to you?" Sarutobi asked. Teuchi shrugged.

"Her chakra coils, such as they are, look fine… But there is definitely left over magical energy inside her. The link is offline, but not broken."

"Hmm… Of course, the real question becomes… Why Ayame?" Sarutobi mused. "Why would the Keyblade link her heart to Naruto's?" The Hokage looked at Ichiraku.

"Do you have a theory?"

"Several, actually," Teuchi confessed with a wry smile, "but nothing firm. I'll have to do my own tests… And keep Ayame-chan from finding out."

"Of course," Sarutobi agreed. "And Naruto as well… He's got enough on his mind as it is at the moment."

Teuchi nodded, and turned back to his daughter, as the Hokage turned and exited. The old ninja frowned as he spied a black bird sitting on the window. It stared at him… Before flying off. Sarutobi shook his head, and used a body flicker jutsu to return to his office.

Everything looked precisely the same as always, aside from one slight detail…

The Hokage smirked.

"Jiraiya. Nice to see you again."

A chuckle was his response, as Jiraiya the Sannin appeared, landing lightly on the floor with a grin and dramatic wave of his long white mane.

"Sensei, always a pleasure to see you," he returned. Sarutobi shook his head and walked to his desk, sitting behind it.

"What brings you home? Surely not the Chuunin exams," the Hokage commented, rummaging in his desk for his pipe and tobacco. Jiraiya smirked.

"Yes and no… Heard about Snake-bastard showing up again and decided to drop by, see what I could do."

The Hokage nodded, lighting his pipe and breathing in the rich smoke, before exhaling a smoke ring.

"I see… By the way, how is Mickey?"

"Feisty and round-eared as ever," Jiraiya noted, settling down in the chair before the desk. "To be honest though, he ranks as my number one reason why to never get married. His wife is always hounding him, heh."

"I'm sure there's a woman out there who could tame you," Sarutobi responded with a grin. Jiraiya smirked.

"We all have our callings, Sensei, and marriage isn't one of mine," the Toad Sage replied.

"Now then… What's the bastard been up to?"

"Looks like he's after the Sharingan," Sarutobi noted. "Though he also seemed to have some interest in Uzumaki Naruto."

"The Kyuubi brat?" Jiraiya asked with a frown. "The Sharingan, I can understand. Bastard's always been obsessed with jutsus. But why a _Jinchurriki?_"

The Sannin grimaced, a terrible thought entering his mind.

"You don't think…?"

"I doubt he knows," Sarutobi replied. "And even if he did, I doubt he would care all _that_ much. Even while we were world-hopping, he learned little about _that._"

Jiraiya nodded thoughtfully, as Sarutobi went on.

"It probably has more to do with Naruto becoming the bearer of the Keyblade."

Sarutobi inwardly smirked at the gob smacked expression on his former student's face. _Still got it,_ he thought.

"… Kid has the _lousiest_ luck," the Toad Sage declared at last, shaking his head. "What does Teuchi have to say about it?"

"Not much… no one could have predicted that the Keyblade would choose Naruto. From what we've seen, and what Naruto's told me, the Kyuubi now has a direct link to Naruto's heart, if he uses it's chakra to power the Keyblade. If he uses it without the Keyblade, things should be as the Fourth Hokage designed, but…" Sarutobi sighed. Jiraiya frowned.

"Hard to tell, hm? Well… I'll give the seal a look-over, see if it needs modification, and look the kid over too," Jiraiya stated. "If that damn thing's chosen him, it's best he knows what he's in for."

"Jiraiya, I'm trying to keep that from him until he's ready," the Hokage stated. Jiraiya snorted.

"If he's old enough to kill, and old enough to be chosen by the Keyblade, I say he's old enough to be told the truth."

"Right now he's got enough stress on him," Sarutobi argued calmly. "Adding more is not going to help. He needs to become aware _gradually…_ And besides, it's not as though _we_ actually know what the future holds for him?"

"No… But we both know what will happen if he falls," Jiraiya said quietly. The Hokage nodded.

"He knows this… And beating it into his head will not prevent it. I want him to try and live normally as long as possible… He's begun to make friends, allies, people who trust and care for him. I don't want him withdrawing behind his mask because he's afraid of hurting them."

Jiraiya took a deep breath… And blew it all out, shaking his head.

"Your call, Old Man… I just hope you're right."

Sarutobi looked out of one of the windows in his office, a pair of birds flying in the clear blue sky. It was a peaceful sight… But one that reminded the Hokage of how easily that peace could be broken.

"So do I," he replied quietly, puffing his pipe.

Xxx

"I have to seal this, quickly," Kakashi stated, finishing drawing the circle of intricate patterns on the ancient stone floor. Sasuke sat in the middle, shirt off, hunched over, the curse seal mark glaringly obvious against his pale skin.

The Uchiha frowned.

"What is the danger of this thing? When it activated, I felt…"

"What you felt was not _true_ power, Sasuke," Kakashi stated, voice hard and serious. Sasuke felt a slight familiarity with the tone. It reminded him of his father, when he had done something foolish. He schooled his face into its usual apathetic expression and turned his thoughts away from his family.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked. Kakashi sighed, standing up.

"The seal does not give you more power, Sasuke… It simply allows you to mold chakra more efficiently, because it _molds_ more of it _for _you." Kakashi walked over to in front of Sasuke and crouched down, seeing eye to eye with the Uchiha survivor.

"Not only that, but… It influences your mind. It alters your subconscious, slowly twisting you into a mindless tool for its maker."

"Orochimaru," Sasuke answered his own unspoken question. Kakashi nodded grimly.

"It lets you mold chakra more efficiently, but it can only do so much. If you rely on it… It becomes a handicap, like an addictive drug. If I don't seal it now… And if you use it, then your development stops right here."

Sasuke's eyes widened, and then narrowed. He felt so _betrayed…_ All that raw _power,_ he'd felt invincible… But it was only an _illusion?_

"… Do it," he said at last. Kakashi nodded, his single visible eye softening.

"This will hurt, immensely," the jounin told him. Sasuke made no response, just increased his focus. Kakashi stood up and walked behind the Uchiha, making the appropriate hand seals.

"_Fūja Hōin!"_ Kakashi roared, slamming his hands down on the seal. Sasuke screamed in agony as white-hot pain burned through his body, his eyes closed as tightly as he could get them. Abruptly, the pain subsided, and Sasuke collapsed to the cold stone floor, breathing steadily. He stared into the darkness of the room with blank eyes.

A pair of black boots entered his vision. Sasuke tilted his head up, barely able to move, but it was enough to see the figure of the man standing over him, seemingly clothed in darkness.

"You have been connected," said the man, quietly but with a commanding presence that fell over Sasuke like a pile of rocks. Sasuke took a shaky breath.

"… Who… Are you?" He asked. The man continued to stand there, unmoving. Part of Sasuke's mind wondered what had happened to Kakashi, why he wasn't _doing_ anything about this intruder…

"Tied to the darkness... soon to be completely eclipsed," the man went on. Sasuke just felt more confused, angrier… And more fearful, though this he defiantly shoved deep into the pit of his chest.

"What… Do you mean?" Sasuke got out with gritted teeth. Everything seemed to grow darker, his vision fading, the cold stone underneath him no longer uncomfortable.

"There is so very much to learn. You understand so little… But in time," the man said, clear and ominous through the fog consuming his mind.

Sasuke finally closed his eyes, giving into a dreamless sleep.

Xxx

Kakashi frowned down at his student and tried to make sense of his rambling… He then looked where he was staring. His blood ran cold.

"Hello, Kakashi," a hissed, high-pitched voice spoke out of the darkness. Kakashi's lone visible eye widened as the pale form of Orochimaru entered the dim light of the chamber. He was dressed in a Konoha jounin uniform, same as Kakashi's, with a Konoha hitai-ate across his brow.

"Orochimaru," the Copy Ninja snarled, stepping in front of Sasuke. Orochimaru smirked.

"Oh, how you've grown since the last time we met," he crooned. "You already know _that_ seal? Most impressive…"

"What do you want?" Kakashi growled. Orochimaru grinned.

"What do I _want?_ I can't just visit old friends? Reminisce about yesterdays? I should think you would appreciate it."

"There is nothing you have done for me to _appreciate,"_ Kakashi returned angrily, "and whatever it is you've come to do, I _will_ stop you."

Orochimaru shook his head, a small laugh escaping his lips.

"I don't _need_ to do _anything_ more… Sasuke-kun is already mine. Soon, he will come looking for me. Soon, I will have him, and his _wonderful_ bloodline." The Snake Sannin licked his lips with a leer. Kakashi held down the rage he felt, as well as the doubt that crept behind it.

"Sasuke is a Konoha ninja… He would _never_ go to you. Not to your empty promises, and shadows bound in the dark," Kakashi retorted. Orochimaru laughed again.

"Really? Are you so sure? Even you have to have seen the darkness inside him… The _rage._ He _lives_ for vengeance, he _needs_ it. He has no other ties to this world than that. And if I can give him the means to kill his brother, well…" Orochimaru licked his lips again, and Kakashi felt the doubt rise in him. He'd seen Sasuke's anger, all too well, his desire to be the best to take revenge…

_You've also seen him with Naruto and Sakura,_ a voice within him pointed out, gently but firmly. _He cares for them, or at least is beginning to._

"You're wrong… He won't join you… He is not as lost as you might think," the jounin got out, quietly but more confidently than before. Orochimaru snorted.

"Do you really think the Kyuubi brat can save him? Or the pink-haired girl? Even with the Keyblade, the boy cannot save Sasuke-kun. No, Kakashi, Sasuke is like me. He wants power… And he knows where to find it."

The Raikiri formed in his hand in an instant, Kakashi performing the hand seals so fast few ninja on the planet could have made them out. The raw power of lightening crackling in his hand, Kakashi glared in sheer determination.

"Then I will _destroy_ you, to keep him safe. Even if I die, at least you will be gone!"

This declaration, so full of heart and conviction… Was laughed at by the mad Sannin.

"If you think you can, then do so," Orochimaru shrugged, laughing as he turned his back and began walking away. Kakashi tensed, ready to charge, slam the screaming Raikiri through the chest of the Sannin…

But the crushing weight of reality fell on him, and the jounin let the Raikiri die.

_Give my life to destroy him? What was I _thinking?

Kakashi knew there were few ninja who were a match for him, but Orochimaru was definitely out of his league. Not only in sheer power, but also in experience. If he had charged… He'd have given his life for nothing.

So Kakashi watched Orochimaru vanish into the darkness, fists clenched, and feeling as though he had failed his old sensei once again…

Xxx

**AN: So again sorry for such a long update. I will try and get the next chapter out within a few days. In fact tomorrow maybe. Anyways enjoy as I bring you towards the changes from the original.**

_Updated 12/13/07:__ Did some additional editing and extended the hallway scene with Gaara spying on Naruto (marked with a (New) at the end), as well as removing all mention of "dattebayo". As it's intended to be added onto the end of a sentence to emphasize it and make it sound tougher, for story purposes it has been replaced with a simple emphasis on certain words and, where appropriate, swearing._

_Sorry for the short chapter. My new math class is eating up a lot of my time and energy. Still, this gets us to the preliminaries of the Chuunin Exam, which will be covered next time._

_Teuchi's just full of surprises isn't he? Don't worry, I will reveal his past and connections, but slowly. I don't want to give everything away right off the bat after all._

_Expect to see more Heartless and more strange occurrences, as the Heartless gain more interest in Konoha._

_Yes, I do like Iruka/Anko, but I'm also fond of other pairing for our favorite chuunin schoolteacher, so like with Naruto you'll have to wait and see._

_Now, time for some omakes!_

By "The Dog"-

Momochi Zabuza growled under his breath as he looked at the two men across from him, both

of whom proved to be worth opponents. One of them was Auron, a quiet, focused, and

determined man. Even his very apparel seemed to radiate an aura of focused determination.

The other was a... pirate by the name of Jack Sparrow. He was the opposite of Auron in

dress and persona, especially all the trinkets in his hair. But this was quickly proved to

be just an act, for he proved to have a most cunning mind.

But the victory was Zabuza's, and he couldn't surpress a smirk as he laid down his cards,

revealing three 4s. "Three of a kind." Zabuza said, giving the both of them a challenging

glare.

Jack merely smiled as he said "Sorry mate, but I win. Four of a kind." He laid down the

four 5s in his hand. However, as he reached for the pot, Auron spoke up, saying only "This

is my game, and you're not winning it." before laying down his hand...

A royale flush.

As Auron pulled his winnings to him, Jack gathered up the cards and asked "So, another

hand lads?" Auron and Zabuza both nodded in agreement, Jack smiling as he dealt the cards again.

By Yamimaru

Omake 1

Naruto stared at Sasuke's outfit for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU LAUGHING ABOUT DOBE?!"

"Just wondering how much the emo full-body condom cost you. And why in hell are you

wearing those bandages? Did you start cutting yourself or something. And please tell me

you haven't started listening to My Chemical Romance."

Sasuke stood staring at Naruto, mouth hanging wide open in shock while a few of the people

who had heard Naruto started laughing.

'How the hell did the dobe figure out that I listen to MCR?!'

By Andrew J. Talon

(Inspired by A-Kun)

It was one of their first off-world jobs, ever since Jiraiya had donated some old Gummi ships he'd "borrowed" from the Heartless, and Team 7 was irritated.

"Okay, does it make sense to any of you that the villains our clients face just seem to enjoy mucking up their planet for the heck of it?" Naruto asked.

"No. Then again, I'm wondering why they haven't just given that solar-powered technology of theirs to the rest of his world to stop all this 'pollution'," Sakura snorted.

"The whole group is a bunch of weak, annoying, whiny fools," Sasuke grumbled.

"Shhh… There's the target," Kakashi murmured, though he too was annoyed by their current job. They'd had the audacity to claim _his_ book wasn't environmentally friendly (whatever the hell _that_ meant)! Did they expect Jiraiya-sama to write his masterpieces on_rocks?_

The target was some greasy-haired guy wearing an exceeding tacky suit with animal furs lining it. Naruto snickered about "Cruella de Ville's soulmate," which led to Sakura telling him to be quiet… But they really shouldn't have bothered.

"We are the Planeteers! Time for you to pay for your crimes against the Earth!" Bellowed their clients. Kakashi slapped his hand to his forehead.

"So much for our sneak attack," Sakura mumbled, as the Planeteers began to "let their powers combine".

"Earth!" The target was simply standing there, staring in stupefaction at the teenagers and their magical spectacle. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Fire!"

"Wind!"

"Water!"

Sasuke pulled a Demon Wind Shuriken from his pouch and let it fly.

"Heart! GO- OH MY GOD THE BAD GUY'S BEEN CUT IN HALF!" The Planeteers screamed, as the target fell apart-Literally. They turned a collective glare at Sasuke, who shrugged.

"What?"

_More omakes to come! As always, please review and keep reading! Suggestions and CONSTRUCTIVE criticism always welcome, as well as new omakes!_


	17. Preliminaries: A Look Back Pt1

_**llVoice of Destiny/Inner Sakura**_

"Normal Talking"

_Thoughts/Sound Effects_

"_Flashback dialogue/Japanese/Emphasis of words"_

"**Demon speak"**

_A fanfiction originally by Andrew J. Talon and redone & continued by NanashiX_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Kingdom Hearts, Disney, or any other copyrighted material. The story idea, concept, and original are owned by Andrew Joshua Talon. The continuation is mine and I do this out of pure enjoyment and my love of the story. Note that I edit and add any elements that will benefit my continuation. If you the reader who has read the original feel that you wanted something different, now is the opportune time to tell me via Review or PM. Thank you for reading._

Key Through the Heart: Rebirth

**Xxx**

**AN: That's right… I'm back y'all. And with a full story line to boot. I worked with a good friend of mine and we created a full plot line all the way to the point where it will become purely original. I know that it should be easy for me to updating as fast as possible, what with the original being out there. I guess I was busy with RL and other stories. But now that I have inspiration back….HERE IT IS! I do suggest rereading the story again to this point.**

**Xxx**

Ayame sighed, wiping her brow free of sweat as she finished setting down some boxes of ingredients in the storage room of the ramen stand. She smiled and walked out to the front, where her eyes met a familiar sight.

"Iruka! It's nice to see you!"

The chuunin gave her a slightly strained smile in return, and looked down at the table. Ayame noticed his frown.

"Something wrong?"

Iruka sighed, and shook his head.

"Not exactly… My usual please?"

Ayame nodded, and set to work on the chuunin's usual ramen bowl. A few minutes of her frying noodles, and he spoke again.

"Where's your father?"

"Out, apparently to meet some old friend of his who happens to be a doctor," the ramen girl spoke, shaking her head. "Honestly, Father can be so overprotective at times!"

"Oh yeah, um, I heard about… You know," Iruka got out awkwardly. He smiled a bit. "Glad to see you feeling better."

"Trust me, it's even better for me," Ayame replied with a grin. She finished adding the meat and hard boiled eggs to the miso ramen, and set it before him. Iruka breathed in the scent of the bowl with a broad smile.

"Mmm… Just how I like it! Thanks for the food!" Iruka cried, before digging in. In between his slurps, Ayame noticed Iruka's worried brow.

"You know, you're going to end up with wrinkles if you keep worrying like that," Ayame pointed out. Iruka paused in his eating and shrugged, a self-deprecating smile on his face.

"Yeah, well… Lot to worry about."

"Oh?" Ayame asked. Iruka sighed.

"Naruto's made it to the third stage of the chuunin exams, but, well…"

Ayame smiled comfortingly.

"I'm sure he'll be fine… Don't worry."

Iruka shrugged.

"Sorry… It's just what I'm used to. I mean, first the Academy, then Mizuki, all the… Missions he's been on…" Iruka shook his head and sighed. He chuckled.

"I imagine the next hurdle after this will be women, and dating."

"Oh? What about Sakura?" Ayame asked, her eyes a bit narrowed at the thought of the Haruno girl. Iruka smiled.

"I think he's actually rethinking his 'eternal crush' on her. He _definitely_ treats her more like a sister now, which will hopefully encourage her to get more serious about being a ninja."

Ayame nodded and grinned.

"So, looks like he's maturing a bit more?"

Iruka nodded.

"Definitely."

Ayame tucked her fist under her chin, leaning forward with a thoughtful expression on her face. Iruka paused his eating, again, to look at her.

"What?"

She smiled.

"Well, then it looks like I may have a chance after all!" Ayame hummed with a wink at him. Iruka spat out his broth in shock

"_What?!"_ The chuunin gasped. Ayame maintained her thoughtful, cool demeanor.

"Sure, there's the age difference, but he _has_ started becoming very cute lately… I might have to stake my claim soon, before some other girl gets their claws in him!" She surmised with a slight blush on her cheeks.

Iruka sputtered incoherently as she sealed her victory with a wink.

"Ay-Ay-AYAME!"

The ramen girl just laughed, and gave him a free bowl of miso ramen in apology. Though she passed it off as a joke, she couldn't help but wonder a little at where her playful thoughts had come from, and why…

Xxx

Donald Duck walked down one of the long corridors of Disney Castle, webbed feet lightly smacking against the rug-covered, marble floors. He smiled happily as he came to the huge double doors to the throne room.

_Exactly why did they make the doors so big anyway?_ The duck wondered, opening the smaller entrance in the doors. He entered the vast throne room, eyes on the pristine white throne itself.

"Your Majesty!" Donald called out. No response. Donald frowned, even more as he saw the throne was empty.

_Eh? That's odd… He should be here around now, _Donald thought. He closed his eyes and expanded his magical senses, an exercise he'd practiced ever since he'd first begun to learn his art.

… _He's not here… I can't even sense him in the castle…?_

Truth be told, the magical interference from the castle and Cornerstone of Light beneath it made locking onto specific signatures a little tricky, but the duck mage had always been able to pick out his king amid the static.

"Ruff! Ruff!"

Donald opened his eyes, startled. The king's yellow dog, Pluto, had crept out from behind the throne, a sealed envelope in his mouth. Donald took it from the dog as Pluto settled back on his haunches. The duck opened the envelope and looked through the letter. His eyes widened.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The duck mage rushed out, running as fast as he could. His keen eyes scanned frantically everywhere as he ran, until finally he found himself in the garden. The armored, sleeping form of Goofy, the Captain of the Disney Knights, was locked onto.

"Goofy! Get up! We've got problems!"

_Snore,_ was his only response. Donald seethed and pointed his finger into the air.

_CRACKA-BOOM!_

"YEEAAHOOWWW!" Goofy shouted, twitching from the lightening strike. He looked at the mage and chuckled sheepishly.

"Uh, somethin' I can help you with, Donald?"

"Goofy, we have a serious problem! The king…!" Donald lowered his voice. "The king is _missing."_

"What? The king is-_mmph!"_ Donald put a hand over Goofy's snout and made a shushing sound.

"_Quiet!_ We can't let _anyone_ know about this, all right?"

"Uh, what about Queen Minnie? And Daisy?" Goofy asked quietly, after Donald let him go. The duck magician shook his head violently.

"No, we can't let even _them_ know about this!"

"Know about what?"

Donald gulped, and turned around. Queen Minnie stood there, arms crossed across her chest as she eyed Donald with a deceptively friendly smile. Daisy, Minnie's lady in waiting, gave her boyfriend the evil eye. The duck laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head, as Goofy cleared his throat.

"Uh, well, ahhh…" Donald began nervously, as Daisy tapped her foot impatiently.

Goofy, fortunately, was there with him. He'd help cover for him, right?

"Uh, nothin', your majesty. Definitely nothin' about the king bein' missin', if that's what you're thinkin'," the knight dutifully reported, saluting.

Donald groaned and slapped his forehead. _Brilliant, just brilliant…_

"He's_ WHAT?!"_ Minnie shouted, scowling. "JIRAIYAAAAA!"

Xxx

On a distant world, said toad sennin sneezed. He rubbed his nose and resumed his research of the local hotspring.

On the same world, in the same village, within the tower at the center of Training Area 44, the genin had been assembled in the main arena chamber, before a slightly raised stone platform. On this, between a few ANBU stood the Sandaime, hands behind his back. He was making a speech about the purpose and importance of the Chuunin exams, but Naruto was unable to pay much attention.

"… And so, in place of war, the Chuunin Exams serve to…"

_Blah blah blah, yadda yadda yadda, c'mon Old Man_! Naruto mentally grumbled. He looked around at the other assembled genin in the huge chamber. Behind the stage the Hokage was standing on, a large stone statue of two hands in the ram seal loomed. Above were catwalks on either side overlooking the entire tiled floor.

"… The strength of our villages is reflected in the strength of our youth…"

_Gahhh… So… Bored…_ Naruto thought, eyes and attention still wandering. He looked up at the catwalks again and spotted Kakashi, who gave him an apologetic look. The jounin had been unable to find a way to fix Naruto's seal, but had been assured by the Hokage that an expert would soon be available to take care of it. So far though, Naruto hadn't really felt all that different, but considering what that freak had done to Sasuke…

_Speaking of which_, Naruto thought, turning his eyes to the Uchiha. He was looking a little less pale than usual, which was good. But he still carried his broken sword on his back, and had definitely been more surly lately.

Then again, Sakura had been hovering over him twenty-four seven, so he supposed the bastard would be in a bad mood.

_Great, bastard has the entire village kissing his ass and he doesn't give a damn. What the hell?_

"… So, remember you are fighting for the honor of your villages!"

A sickly-looking jounin walked out in front of the gathered genin. He coughed.

"Okay, I'm Hayate Gekko. I'll be the test proctor. Now, as we've got too many genin who passed this year, we'll need to hold some preliminary matches before the real third test. If anyone wants to quit, you may do so now."

Near the back of the group, Kabuto made to raise his hand. But a flash of familiar killing intent made him freeze. He traced it to the only Sound village jounin in the place, smirking at him. The jounin narrowed his eyes meaningfully, and Kabuto, though confused, complied.

"Okay, as it stands, one student will fight an extra match," Hayate coughed. "The digital display board up there will select two genin at random. The rules are simple: Matches will go on until one is unable to continue, or die. I'll end the match if I feel it's over, and I will tolerate no argument."

Sakura grimaced and pulled her leather gloves out of her pouch, pulling them on. She cast a nervous look over at Sasuke, who ignored her. His attention was entirely on the display board.

"S-Sasuke-kun, um, are you sure you're-?"

"Shut up, I'm fine," the Uchiha snarled quietly. "You've been doing nothing but annoying me ever since we got here."

Naruto glared.

"Hey, bastard! She's just worried about you! Don't be such an asshole!"

Sasuke turned to Naruto, face stone cold. Naruto returned it, baring his teeth. Sakura looked nervously between the two… Until Sasuke unexpectedly smirked.

"I want to fight you most of all, Naruto."

Naruto gawked, and raised an eyebrow.

"Eh?"

He searched Sasuke's face for hints of sarcasm… But there was none. Something seemed to tell Naruto, on a level he could barely perceive, that Sasuke wanted to fight him, not just to prove who was stronger but for something… More. Something that didn't involve his revenge.

The blond ninja smiled back, feeling happier and calmer around the Uchiha than he had since… Well, ever.

"Yeah… I want to fight you too," Naruto returned earnestly. Sasuke nodded, his smirk becoming a little softer. Sakura blinked between the two, biting her lower lip, but looking slightly less tense.

Anko walked nearer to the Hokage, eyes narrowed.

"Hokage-sama, are you sure you won't reconsider Sasuke-?"

"I'm sure," Sandaime said, quietly but as firm as steel. Anko nodded and backed off, as the Hokage and his escort went to his viewing box high above the observation decks.

"Allright everyone, up on the catwalks, you can watch from there," Hayate called out, drawing Team Seven's attention once more. They followed the other students, assembling near Kakashi who was leaning against the wall, Icha Icha Paradise in one hand as usual. Naruto rolled his eyes.

"You know Kakashi-sensei, if someone didn't know better they'd say you were addicted to that stuff," the blond said in distaste. Kakashi just eye-smiled.

"You just don't yet appreciate great literature," the jounin said with a cool air. Gai shook his head and struck a dramatic pose next to his eternal rival.

"Oh Kakashi! How is it that your students burn with such youth, and yet their instructor has fallen into the darkness of depravity!" He sniffled, tears threatening to bubble out of his eyes.

"Hm? You say something, Gai?" Kakashi asked. Gai's tears abruptly vanished as he struck an angry pose, cursing Kakashi's 'cool and modern' attitude. Naruto raised an eyebrow at Tenten who was leaning on the railing lining the catwalk. She glanced at Gai and shrugged in exasperation, smiling at him. He smiled back and leaned forward against the railing as well, looking out to the catwalk on the other side of the arena.

A flash of killing intent brushed over his senses, and he locked onto the source. Gaara was staring at him, green eyes narrowed. Naruto glared back.

"Hey, Kabuto? You had an info card on that Gaara kid, right?" Sakura asked, standing next to the older genin farther down the catwalk. Kabuto nodded, drawing the requested card and handing it to her, his eyes locked on the Sound Jounin standing against a wall in the arena.

_Why does Orochimaru-sama want me to fight? Surely it'd be better for me to keep my abilities hidden…_

Sakura looked over the card, frowning at the records.

"Never a scratch on him," she muttered. "How is that possible?"

"I'll tell you how," Kiba spoke up, causing Sakura to turn and look at him. "He can form sand into a shield around himself, instantly. Nothing can hurt him." The Inuzuka looked nervous, and Akamaru on his head whimpered. Sakura blinked.

"Huh? How do you know?"

"We saw him, while we were heading for the tower," Shino spoke next, emotionlessly as always, but with a hint of strain that even Sakura could detect. Frowning, she looked at Hinata, who looked shaken at whatever memories that statement brought up.

"Saw him…?"

"Slaughtered a whole Rain team without breaking a sweat," Kiba explained, grimacing. "Even when they surrendered he just… Crushed them, like they were bugs! Er, no offense Shino."

"None taken," the Aburame returned politely. Sakura looked over at Gaara, and shuddered as he glanced her way. The look in his eyes seemed to clutch at her heart in mind-numbing fear.

"Listen, Sakura, I really suggest that if you get this guy, you just forfeit. He's way too much for anyone, _trust me_," Kiba emphasized. Sakura bit her lower lip and said nothing, as Kabuto merely continued his staring match with the disguised Orochimaru.

Somewhat near the Sand Team, the Sound genin were assembled, all three glaring at the Konoha ninja across. Zaku gripped his artificial hand menacingly as he glared at Sasuke, to which the Uchiha glared back, hand resting on the hilt of his broken sword.

"Allright, first fighters are coming up now," Hayate called, getting nearly everyone's attention. The display board flashed through several names, before settling on the first pair.

_Uchiha Sasuke versus Abumi Zaku._

"Looks like this is my lucky day," Zaku grinned, clenching his metallic hand in glee. He leapt down to the stone floor below, slamming his fist into the ground hard enough to spiderweb a tile, a low boom echoing throughout the chamber.

_No… Why did Sasuke-kun have to be first?_ Sakura thought with a frown.

Sasuke moved to leap down, but Kakashi put a hand on his shoulder. The Uchiha looked at his sensei questioningly.

"Remember… If you do not keep control of the seal, I will withdraw you from the match. Understand?" Kakashi asked. Grimly Sasuke nodded, tolerating a small, encouraging squeeze of his shoulder by his sensei before he leapt down. Both Sound and Leaf ninja walked towards each other, stopping roughly three meters from each other with Hayate in the middle. The proctor coughed, before nodding.

"Ready…? Begin," he said, and backed away. For a moment the two genin stared at each other. Zaku grinned.

"Still carrying around that broken sword of yours I see."

"I wouldn't be talking right now," Sasuke retorted, Sharingan eyes drifting to his artificial hand. Zaku snarled, and lifted it up, palm outstretched.

"DIE!" A powerful air blast issued from the metal hand, Sasuke dodging to the left. Zaku cursed and slammed his hand down, generating a sonic wave through the stone that shook the floor violently. Sasuke leapt and used chakra to stick to a wall, and leaped out of the way once again as Zaku fired another air blast, putting a decent-sized crater where he'd stuck seconds before.

"Too slow!" Sasuke taunted, bouncing off another wall and flying for Zaku, kunai in his hand. The Sound ninja blocked the strike with his metal hand and tried to fire off an air blast at point-blank range, which Sasuke made go wild by punching Zaku and kicking off him. The spectators on the right catwalk (and the Hokage) raised their arms to shield their eyes from the air burst.

"Gah! C'mon Sasuke, beat this guy already!" Naruto growled.

Both Sakura and Ino seemed to consider cheering Sasuke on, but seemed to think better of it.

Sasuke landed, skidding as not all of Zaku's last attack had gone in the wrong direction. The Uchiha grimaced as he felt a twitch on the back of his neck, but ignored it. He ran forward, performing a one-handed cartwheel to avoid Zaku's next blast.

"Give it up, pretty boy! I can do this all day! How long can you keep up?" Zaku taunted, focusing another air blast at Sasuke, which he dodged again.

"How long until you actually hit me?" Sasuke retorted with a smirk. Zaku snarled and fired an airblast with both hands, wide-angle. There was no chance the Uchiha could escape now, and Zaku grinned as he saw the Uchiha be slammed against the wall…

… And turn into a log. Zaku snarled and spun around, expecting an attack from behind… Only to feel a kick in the back of his head.

"That was an old trick," Sasuke smirked, crouching and punting Zaku into the air. He leapt after, getting above. "This is too… But from here on out, it's all original!"

Sasuke kicked Zaku to the side, twirling in mid-air above him to deliver another to his other side, before using the momentum of that last hit to spin himself into an axe kick.

"_SHISHI RENDAN!_" The Uchiha shouted, sending the Sound Nin crashing to the stone floor below. Zaku snarled and rolled onto his side, trying to get his metal hand up and ready to fire before his opponent could land.

But Sasuke saw this through the Sharingan and spun, getting down to the ground next to Zaku before the blast connected. Zaku screamed as Sasuke slammed his kunai into his metal hand, the energy build up of his next blast already taking place.

"YOU IDIOT! YOU'LL KILL US BOTH!" Zaku screamed, but it was too late. The hand glowed bright blue, and Sasuke barely had enough time to use another replacement jutsu before it exploded, casting a massive amount of dust into the air. Sasuke reappeared outside the blast zone, grimacing as he held his side. He looked down at his hand and blinked.

_Since when do I wear gloves…?_

To the spectators, Uchiha Sasuke's blue and white outfit had seemed to turn dark black, the outline of a cloak flowing behind him; his hair seemed to grow longer… And then he was back to normal, gawking at his hand.

The smoke cleared, and he turned at the sound of a groan. He glared coldly at the downed Sound genin, staring in horrified agony at his mangled arm. Everything below his elbow had been blown apart, leaving everything else an ugly, blackened ruin. He tried to get up, but collapsed, eyes rolling into the back of his head.

Hayate came near, bent down, and checked Zaku. He then rose and turned to Sasuke.

"Winner, Uchiha Sasuke," he spoke.

Sasuke rose and turned, looking up at the catwalk. He spotted Rock Lee, who was staring at him in shock. Sasuke bowed in appreciation, before going back up the steps to the upper level.

_Amazing! He only saw me do it _once_, and he was able to copy it perfectly! So _that_ is your special ability. You really are something, Sasuke. You just keep getting stronger all the time. You make me...almost...a little nervous,_ Lee thought, gaze firmly locked onto the Uchiha as he ascended the stairs.

Kakashi was standing at the top, lone eye narrowed.

"C'mon, we're getting you checked out, now," Kakashi stated. Sasuke narrowed his eyes back at his sensei.

"What? The seal didn't-!"

"No, but something happened, and I'm not taking any chances," the jounin said harshly. With a scowl Sasuke nodded, turning to look at Naruto and Sakura further down on the catwalk. Naruto just stared at him pensively, while Sakura smiled, though even Sasuke could tell it was strained. He nodded to them both with an apathetic face as Kakashi led him into a passage connected to the catwalk.

Hayate cleared his throat, and got everyone's attention again.

"Right… Next match, on the screen now. Shino Aburame and Tsurugi Misumi."

The trench-coat and sunglasses wearing genin calmly descended the stone stairs to the arena floor, while the third member of Kabuto's cell simply leaped down. The two stared at eachother for a time, before Misumi laughed.

"This is it? _This _is my opponent? A pitiful, first year _bug_ user? This won't last _five minutes,"_ he grinned behind his mask. Shino made no response, only nodding to the proctor as he approached.

"Huh? Bug user?" Naruto asked, scratching his head. "What does that mean?"

"Ha! Don't you know anything, Deadlast?" Jeered Kiba. Naruto glared at him, and the Inuzuka merely smirked and shook his head.

"You'll see, dumbass, you'll see," Kiba finished, as Akamaru barked in agreement. Hinata poked her fingers together, looking at Naruto apologetically, to which he smiled before turning back to the arena.

Hayate looked at the two fighters, nodded, and said "Begin!" He then backed away.

Misumi wasted no time, leaping right at Shino and wrapping himself around him. His limbs stretched in bizarre and disturbing ways, until he resembled a boa constrictor around a tiny mouse.

"Shino-kun!" Hinata cried out. Shino did not even look fazed, as Misumi chuckled, head stretched next to his opponent's ear.

"So, Aburame, ready to call it quits? Or shall I squeeze the life out of you?"

Shino raised his eyebrows.

"It is entirely possible you could have defeated me right at the start," Shino began in his usual, calm monotone. "However, this match is mine."

Misumi laughed mockingly.

"Oh? How do you figure, hm?"

Shino did not answer… He merely began to disintegrate. Misumi's eyes widened in surprise as his hostage became a mass of black insects, which soon covered him, biting and stinging.

"AAUUUGHHHH! AUUUGHHHH! OH GOD, GET THEM OFF ME! GET THEM OFF MEEEE!"

The real Shino calmly walked out of the shadow of the catwalk, watching his _Kikai_ insects continue to swarm over Misumi.

"I created a _Kikai Bunshin_ and hid it in the shadows as I walked down the stairs," Shino explained, as though discussing the weather. "I know of your clan's bloodline, Tsurugi. Using chakra to separate your joints and manipulate your bodies for maximum flexibility. I correctly deduced that your first move would be to try and capture me."

"What-ARGGGHHH!-are they doing to meEEEE?!" Misumi screamed.

"Draining your chakra, and injecting you with their venom, which will soon paralyze you," Shino stated calmly. Misumi's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell in an unconscious heap on the floor. The _kikai_ swarm took off and flew back to Shino, diving into his jacket.

Hayate coughed. "Winner; Aburame Shino."

Lee gawked in disbelief.

"Woah, wait! How did he do that?" He turned to Neji. "Find out!"

"_Byakugan!_" Neji muttered, veins bulging around his grey eyes as his bloodline activated. He grimaced.

"I thought he was using a summoning jutsu for all those insects… but they actually live inside him!" The Hyuuga narrowed his amazing eyes.

_He's filled with insects…So this is the work of the Aburame clan? Gruesome… yet effective,_ he thought, hand unconsciously twitching to go up and feel his caged bird seal.

"Living _inside_ him?" Lee asked, jaw dropped.

Naruto gazed in awe as Shino approached.

"Nice job, Shino," Kiba complimented with a grin.

"C-Congratulations, Shino-kun," Hinata stuttered only a little. Kurenai smiled at him.

"Excellent work," imparted the genjutsu mistress.

The Aburame merely nodded politely.

"Wow… That was so _cool_!" Naruto enthused. "I mean, sure, no explosions but still…" Sakura made a face nearby.

"Ugh… He gives me the creeps… All those _bugs…"_

"Sabaku no Kankuro, and Akimichi Chouji, please come down!" Hayate called, coughing a little after that.

"Aw nuts!" Chouji groaned. Kankuro grinned predatorily and leapt to the arena floor. Ino smirked.

"Hey, relax Chouji! You took out one of those demons in the forest."

Naruto grinned and gave his friend a thumbs up.

"Yeah! That pajama wearing freak doesn't have a prayer against you! Squish him flat!"

Chouji frowned.

"You _implying_ anything by that, Naruto?" The Akimichi asked, narrowing his eyes. The blond ninja gulped and smiled nervously.

"Er, nothing! Nothing!"

"Yeah, he's not calling you fat. That's _my_ job," Ino smirked. Chouji growled.

"Grrr… Damnit, I'm not FAT! I'm BIG BONED!" With that, the heavy set shinobi leapt to the floor, landing in a crouch. Kankuro smirked.

"You wanna take me on tubby?" The Sand ninja taunted. "Go home and eat some cake, fatass. This is a place for ninjas."

Ino, Shikamaru, Asuma, and Naruto all winced. They knew just how furious Chouji got when someone made fun of his weight. Now, Ino did it and meant it only in fun (and a twisted sort of affection), but when someone meant it in a clearly hostile way…

"TUBBY?! That's it, you're going _down ASSHOLE! NIKUDEN SENSHA!"_ Chouji expanded into his massive, boulder-like form and accelerated for Kankuro, who just stood there and continued to smirk.

_What the... Why is that guy just standing there?_ Ino wondered. Naruto frowned, the Keyblade seeming to wish to leap into his grasp.

"Huh? What's he doing?"

"Something's wrong about this," Shikamaru murmured, eyes narrowed. Tenten and Sakura nearby stared as Chouji reached maximum speed and collided with Kankuro.

The Leaf ninja came to a dead stop.

"The _hell?"_ Naruto gasped. Every Konoha ninja (including most of the jounin) gawked in disbelief as Kankuro held Chouji back with two hands, but no other obvious effort. Kankuro grinned and pulled back one of his fists, before ramming it deep into Chouji's mass.

"AUGH!" Chouji bellowed as an electrical current flowed through his body. Kankuro's grin widened.

"You're screwed, tubby." His eye seemed to fracture, before exploding outwards, revealing a mechanical eye.

"HOLY SHIT! HE'S A CYBORG!" Naruto shouted, summoning the Keyblade. Ino's own eyes widened, but for a slightly different reason.

_More aliens?!_

"I don't think so," Kakashi noted, as the rest of 'Kankuro's' skin and clothing came apart, revealing a brown-skinned, mechanical monstrosity that vaguely resembled a multi-armed human. A whir of motors and two more arms pulled back, before plunging into Chouji's hide again.

"SON OF A-!" Chouji's curse was cut short as his jutsu was dispelled, leaving him lying on his back on the arena floor, looking dizzy. The bundle on the thing's back unwrapped itself, becoming the real Kankuro. He smirked, holding up his hands.

"Idiot…"

"What the hell is that thing, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto demanded. Kakashi looked thoughtful.

"It's a ninja puppet."

"_Puppet?"_

Kakashi rolled his eyes.

"It's like a robot that fights for him. He controls it with chakra strings, manipulating them to make the puppet move. Looks like this puppet is equipped with a taser weapon, as well as motors to enhance its strength and-"

"That _venom_ should be paralyzing you nicely right about now," Kankuro went on with a smirk. Kakashi shrugged at Naruto's raised eyebrow.

"Surrender, and I'll give you the anti-venom," Kankuro offered, holding up a bottle. "But make it quick-Karasu's poison progresses quickly."

Chouji snarled, but nodded weakly. Hayate sighed.

"Winner, Kankuro!" The jounin called, as the medic ninjas quickly got to the poisoned genin, stretcher in hand. Naruto frowned as he saw Kankuro smirk and walk off, puppet in his hand, as he tossed the antidote carelessly to one of the medics. The ninja caught it, shooting a glare at the puppeteer's back.

"So that's what that thing was… Hey, Kakashi-sensei! Isn't that against the rules? Two on one, I mean," he asked. Kakashi frowned, a bit more concerned with the fact Naruto sensed his return than the question. But, in order to deflect the odd looks being sent his way, he decided to handle the question.

"Says the boy who can make an army of himself," Sakura snorted. Kakashi eye-smiled. _Good girl, Sakura._

"What? That's a ninja technique! That there was… Was… Oh nevermind," the blond huffed, dejected. Shikamaru frowned, arms across his chest, as Ino watched her sensei consult with the med nins, biting her lower lip.

"Well?" Kakashi asked Asuma as he returned to the observation deck. The son of the Third Hokage sighed and lit up a new cigarette.

"The antidote was delivered in time. Much longer and Chouji's lungs would have stopped working." Asuma looked over at the Sand ninja across the arena, frowning thoughtfully. A tall Sand jounin with his head wrapped in gauze and the right half of his face covered in white cloth, stared back impassively.

"He'd just better not run into me in the next round," Naruto snarled. Shikamaru was silent, but nodded his assent. Ino tightened her grip on her staff, and felt her chakra shape itself to cast lightening within it as she caught Kankuro's smirk. The puppeteer winked and blew a mocking kiss.

"Trust me, Whiskers, I face him and there won't be enough pieces left of him to fill a _paper bag,"_ Ino hissed, sparks seemingly shooting from her eyes. Naruto and Shikamaru stared at her, and felt the killing intent of her barely-restrained wrath. Sakura scooted a few steps away from her former best friend and current rival.

"Damn am I glad she's not mad at me," Naruto muttered. Shikamaru nodded, just a little faster than he would normally.

His attention went back to the display board, Naruto frowned.

"C'mon, when's it going to be my turn!"

"Do not worry, Naruto!" Lee boomed. "Our time will come! Let us hope it is towards the end, though! Thus, we will be the closing act!"

Naruto grinned.

"That'd be awesome Lee! But, I'm still hoping to go next…"

Naruto trailed off as the next match was announced. He looked uneasily to either side of himself.

"Yamanaka Ino, and Haruno Sakura, please come down for your match!" Hayate announced.

**Xxx**

**NanashiX: Hey all so here is the first chapter for the mass update. I will be looking through chapters and fixing it to my storyline. For now enjoy the original omakes. I ask if you guys have any funny omakes just pm me! Enjoy the update and expect the next update in one to two days ^^.**

**Xxx**

_Updated 12/13/07:__ Did some additional editing, as well as removing all mention of "dattebayo". As it's intended to be added onto the end of a sentence to emphasize it and make it sound tougher, for story purposes it has been replaced with a simple emphasis on certain words and, where appropriate, swearing._

_Behold my evil cliffhanger powers! Mwahahahaha!_

_I've been mixing up the matches a bit to keep things interesting, but still rather canon. You'll see why I had Kabuto stay in later._

_Not much to say on this chapter, expect that it was very time consuming to write and rewrite the dialogue and action scenes._

_I kept Shino's fight short and to the point because, c'mon, it's _Shino._ He kicks ass._

_Overall, there will be eleven matches in this arc, which I'll split between three chapters at most. I will skip a few matches if I feel they don't add to the story. Still a bit undecided about some of the matches, and considering some rather unconventional ones, but you'll have to wait and see what they are._

_If you have questions, feel free to check out my forums for this story, or my author's notes at the end of previous chapters._

_As always, please review! Hits and faves are nice, but I can't truly progress as a writer unless I know what the reader thinks._

_Now, it's omake time!_

By Andrew J. Talon:

Hayate came near, bent down, and checked Zaku. He then rose and turned to Sasuke.

"Winner, Uchiha Sasuke," he spoke.

"About time, Duck Butt Head!" Naruto shouted.

"Shut up Naruto!" Sakura growled.

"What? His hair looks like the back end of a duck! Don't tell me you've never noticed it before!" Naruto defended himself. Ino shot him a glare.

"Doesn't mean you can go and insult him like that, idiot!"

"Look whose talking!" Naruto laughed back with a wicked grin.

"Then again, he does have a point," Tenten added thoughtfully, giggling a little. Ino's face turned red, as did Sakura's. Naruto just began laughing, soon joined by Tenten and a few other genin, though they all tried to conceal it.

Sasuke glowered at the laughter.

"Screw you all!"

By Yamimaru:

Omake 2

(Note: This one is based off of a funny comic I saw on deviantart a while back.

And an omake from shadowmaster62's "Unseen.")

Itachi stared at Sasuke's outfit for a moment, and then grabbed his brother's throat and held him up to eye-level.

"Otouto, what the hell happened to all of that stuff I taught you about looking cool?"

Naruto, decided that now would be a good to throw in his two ryou.

"He went emo!"

Itachi shuddered and then looked back at Sasuke and pulled out a kunai.

"Stupid otouto, I feel it is my duty to put you out of both our miseries, as I can't stand the idea of anyone related to me listening to the likes of My Chemical Romance or Savage Garden."

"And like you listen to better music?"

"As a matter of fact, yes I do." With that Itachi dropped Sasuke and pulled off his cloak to reveal...

...A WHITE DISCO SUIT?!

A mirror-ball dropped out of nowhere as "Stayin' Alive" started playing in the background.

Itachi, who now lacked his hitai-ate, was wearing platform shoes, and had an afro for some

reason started dancing as Naruto and Sasuke stared horrified and Kisame face-palmed.

"Not again."

By Reform Joms:

Naruto doesn't know why he had to bring them to this place.

Naruto obviously thought to himself that he was probably drunk when he brought Team Gai to this place.

And as it was, 'Konoha's Green Beast' had just decided to go commando, and was swinging the vines with Tarzan. And they had also gone and went to have a banana eating contest. As it stands, the score was Tarzan: 60, and Lee: 65. Banana peels littered the jungle floor.

...Many animals slipped that day. And it was from then on, was to be remembered as a day of slippery infamy.

Tenten had snatched Clayton's gun, very interested in it as she broke it in half. In fact, she had gone deaf crazy as she ransacked the whole camp, looking for more weapons, or anything that looks like a weapon. As it stands, she found 14 kitchen knives, 6 'ball-looking thingies', 24 rifles and guns, 3 packs of 'things that go boom', 40 'pokey-stabby-slicy-sawwy' things, and 64 of everything else.

Neji was running away from (insert Jane's father's name) for all his worth as the man had

taken an interest on how somehow who has no pupils, and by the professor's definition,

someone who is blind, can still see. The professor had made an impromptu lab out of

nowhere, and was trying to catch the Hyuuga for disecting purposes and study and research.

As it stands, they've been at it for 1:25:09, hours:minutes:seconds.

Gai was wrestling the hippos and the elephants. The gorillas were somehow dragged into

it. As it stands, Gai had knocked out two more, bringing the 'score' to 6 elephants, 3

hippos, and 15 gorillas... right before the gorillas went bananas on his and pile

drived him like they were playing football. The last thing Gai saw before he was knocked

out, was a cloud of snalring gorillas.

And Naruto and Jane both sat down on a picnic mat and started to sip tea, while they each

shared stories of their "crazy, eventful, and 'people who need to go to a happy hotel'"

worlds.

Around them, (by that, nowhere near the crazy people) the monkey heartless had somehow setup a bar/lounge, calling it, "The Monkey Heartless Bar/Lounge." Some said Heartless were playing jazz music from instruments out of materials from the camp. (If you don't get the joke, try watching Disney's Tarzan, and watch the part where the animals break into the

camp and suddenly burst into song using stuff from the camp as instruments)

One monkey Heartless approached the tea-sipping two, holding a kettle.

"Ook ook ooh oo?" It asked.

Naruto and Jane nodded. Naruto said, "Yes, more tea please."

The Heartless did so, and went back to the bar.

Naruto sighed. He just hoped that Sakura, Sasuke, Kakashi and the team they were sent with were fairing better in their mission.

-Somewhere else-

Sakura, Kakashi, and the rest of the team all slowly backed away from Sasuke. They don't

know what the fiends did to Sasuke, but the result was this...

As it stands, Uchiha Sasuke was frolicking in the flowers. Around him, Care Bears all

laughed and giggled and was merry-ing their butts off.

"Hey Sasuke?" one Care Bear called.

"Yes, Share Bear?" Sasuke answered gayly.

"Do you have something to share?"

"Yes I do, Share Bear." Sasuke answered, giggling, "I'm not wearing any underwear!"

The other Care Bears just giggled.

Sakura, Kakashi, and Team Eight didn't know whether they should laugh at that, feel

mentally scarred by the image, kill the annoying little things, commit suicide, gouge

their eyes and ears out, or do all of the above.

They all thought the same thing, 'God, this is more creepy and disturbing as the time we

went to that one place with all the Rainbow Monkeys...'

-End Omake.


End file.
